cottony

adjective

cot·​tony ˈkät-nē 

ˈkä-tᵊn-ē

: resembling cotton in appearance or character: such as

a

: covered with hairs or pubescence

b

: soft

Synonyms

• shaggy
• hairy
• silky

Examples of cottony in a Sentence

The toys are stuffed with a cottony material.

The flowers are small and cottony.

Recent Examples on the Web

Those without leaves store water in their stems.) Check the plants for disease and infestations, including mealy bugs, which look like a cottony, white substance, and powdery mildew, which initially appears as white circles on leaves and stems. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2025

These small insects have a waxy, white, cottony appearance and can usually be found in clusters on the underside of leaves and in stem joints. —Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2025

An egg mass of the citrus mealybug looks like a small, white, cottony mass on the underside of a leaf. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2024

There, the thickly forested ranges perched on a shelf of cottony clouds, offering a view of the mountaintop complex modeled after 16th century Vietnamese pagodas, including a 10-story belfry, a network of stone staircases and a giant seated Buddha. —Patrick Scott, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023

Ladybugs have also been introduced to the Galapagos to reduce cottony cushion scale and have been beneficial there as well. —Susan Pransky, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023

Come springtime, a perimeter of blossoming dogwoods will enfold the clearing in a cottony veil. —Curbed, 13 Nov. 2022

Buy medium eggplant that is not cottony or bruised. —The View, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2022

Mealy bugs are distinguished by the white wax covering their body and egg sacs that give them a cottony appearance. —oregonlive, 11 Nov. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cottony

• cottony-cushion scale

Rhymes for cottony

• botany
• ethnobotany
• monotony
• paleobotany

Kids Definition

cottony

adjective

cot·​tony ˈkät-nē 

-ᵊn-ē

1

: covered with soft hairs : downy

2

: soft entry 1 sense 1d