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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

cotton

/ˈkɑt.n̩/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does cotton mean?

noun

  1. A soft, fibrous, usually white substance consisting of fine hairs, especially the substance around the seeds of a plant of genus Gossypium.
  2. Any similar soft, fibrous, white substance of fine hairs, of any origin.
  3. A plant of genus Gossypium, used as a source of such fiber.
More meanings (27)

noun

  1. Any plant that encases its seed in a thin fiber that is harvested and used as a fabric or cloth.
  2. Textiles made from the fiber harvested from a cotton plant, especially Gossypium.
  3. An item of clothing made from such textiles.
  4. A small piece of cotton used as a filter when drawing up a drug into a syringe.
  5. Thread of such fiber.
  6. A liking.
  7. (archaic) A wick of a candle.

adjective

  1. Made of cotton.

verb

  1. To provide with cotton.
  2. To supply with a cotton wick.
  3. To fill with a wad of cotton.
  4. To wrap with a protective layer of cotton fabric.
  5. To cover walls with fabric.
  6. To cover with cotton bolls over a layer of tar (analogous to tar and feather )
  7. To raise a nap, providing with a soft, cottony texture.
  8. To develop a porous, cottony texture.
  9. To give the appearance of being dotted with cotton balls.
  10. To enshroud with a layer of whiteness.
  11. To protect from harsh stimuli, coddle, or muffle.
  12. To rub or burnish with cotton.
  13. To get on with someone or something; to have a good relationship with someone.

proper noun

  1. A village and civil parish in Staffordshire Moorlands district, Staffordshire, England (OS grid ref SK0645).
  2. A village and civil parish in Mid Suffolk district, Suffolk, England (OS grid ref TM0767).
  3. An unincorporated community in Mitchell County, Georgia, United States.
  4. A township and unincorporated community therein, in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States.
  5. A habitational surname from Old English.
  6. A surname from Hebrew.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈkɑt.n̩/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

She wore a faded pink silk dress, trimmed with a great deal of cotton lace, soiled white kid slippers, and silk stockings.
L. M. (Lucy Maud) MontgomeryAnne of AvonleaProject Gutenberg ebook #47
He knew the price of cotton and the price of labour, and concluded there must be a very large margin of profit.
Samuel SmilesIndustrial Biography: Iron Workers and Tool MakersProject Gutenberg ebook #404
More book examples (3)
It had been used as a cotton mill, but was abandoned by the owner in favour of more suitable and extensive premises.
James NasmythJames Nasmyth, Engineer: An AutobiographyProject Gutenberg ebook #476
The iron ball will go much farther, or, if projected against a wall will strike a harder blow than the cotton ball.
James Slough ZerbeAeroplanesProject Gutenberg ebook #1445
I replace the cork balls by pellets of cotton or paper, kept in their round shape with a few bands of thread.
Jean-Henri FabreThe Life of the SpiderTranslated by Alexander Teixeira de MattosProject Gutenberg ebook #1887