cottonwood

noun cot·ton·wood \ ˈkä-tᵊn-ˌwu̇d \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Definition of cottonwood

: any of several poplars having seeds with cottony hairs; especially : one (Populus deltoides) of the eastern and central U.S. often cultivated for its rapid growth and luxuriant foliage

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Recent Examples of cottonwood from the Web

Five types that come up commonly in the beds at our house are cottonwoods, willows, hackberries, mulberries and box elders.

— neil sperry, star-telegram, "Volunteering is great but 'volunteer' plants are a whole different story," 1 June 2018
The god of such things wisely sited Fifth Water Hot Springs (801-798-3571) around 2 miles into an ascending hike, along a dappled path drawn beneath a canopy of maples and cottonwoods.

— Sunset, "Go on a Hot Springs Adventure in the Utah Desert," 22 Jan. 2018
Leavitt’s children and grandchildren swung under the cottonwood trees, and all around the family piled plates with steaming beef and roast pork, corn on the cob, squash.

— leah sottile, Longreads, "Bundyville Chapter Two: By a Thread," 16 May 2018
Before the storm, there was a sandy beach shaded by tall cottonwood trees on one side of the canyon, the perfect place to put a folding chair or spread a towel.

— azcentral, "Into the water," 15 May 2018
Regardless of its ranking, the cottonwood’s endurance is noteworthy.

— ted gregory, chicagotribune.com, "Just in time for Arbor Day, new preserve lays claim to Illinois' biggest tree," 27 Apr. 2018
Townsfolk lived in tidy houses with rose bushes in their yards, on streets lined with shady cottonwood trees.

— anne burke, San Francisco Chronicle, "You no longer need a snorkel to see this Nevada ghost town," 30 Apr. 2018
Discovery of the monumental cottonwood was a surprise.

— ted gregory, chicagotribune.com, "Just in time for Arbor Day, new preserve lays claim to Illinois' biggest tree," 27 Apr. 2018
The town is moving forward with an urban forestry management plan that aims to increase tree diversity, banning many species, including the cottonwood, that are either invasive or overpopulated in public spaces.

— craig lyons, Post-Tribune, "Highland moves forward with plan to diversify tree population," 9 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cottonwood.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.