soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state
"The farmer inspected the bales of raw cotton, noting how the soft silky fibers glistened under the sun before they were spun into thread."
fabric woven from cotton fibers
"She bought a new shirt made of soft, breathable cotton for the summer heat."
erect bushy mallow plant or small tree bearing bolls containing seeds with many long hairy fibers
"The farmer inspected the cotton field to check if the bollworms had damaged the plants before harvest."
thread made of cotton fibers
"The seamstress carefully threaded her needle with a spool of white cotton to stitch the hem."
Gossypium, a genus of plant used as a source of cotton fiber.
"Botanists classify common white cotton as Gossypium to distinguish it from other plants that also produce fluffy fibers."
In plain English: Cotton is a soft, fluffy fiber that comes from plants and is used to make clothes and other things.
"She put on a soft cotton shirt for the warm weather."
Usage: Cotton refers to the soft, white fiber harvested from the cotton plant that is spun into thread and woven into fabric for clothing and bedding. Do not confuse this material with the fluffy seed covering found on other plants like dandelions or thistles.
To provide with cotton.
"She really cottons to her new neighbor after they spent hours chatting about gardening."
To supply with a cotton wick.
To get on with someone or something; to have a good relationship with someone.
In plain English: To cotton to something means to quickly agree with or get along well with someone.
"She decided to cotton on to the idea that they were planning a surprise party."
Usage: Do not use cotton as a verb in modern English, as it is archaic and rarely understood today. Instead of saying you "cottoned to" someone, simply state that you got along well with them or developed a rapport.
Made of cotton.
"She wore a soft, white t-shirt made of cotton to stay cool during the summer heat."
In plain English: Cotton describes something made from soft, fluffy plant fibers that are usually white and very comfortable to wear.
"She put on her cotton shirt because it felt soft against her skin."
Usage: Use "cotton" as an adjective to describe clothing or fabric made from the soft plant fiber, such as in a cotton shirt or cotton ball. It functions directly before the noun it modifies to indicate the material composition.
The name of several settlements around the world
"When my new neighbor introduced himself at the block party, he revealed that his unusual name was actually a Hebrew surname called Cotton."
A surname, from Hebrew.
The word "cotton" entered English via Middle English and Old French, tracing its roots back to the Arabic word quṭun. It originally referred to the plant or fiber itself before becoming a standard term in the English language.