What Does Cotton Mean?
Cotton is a soft, white fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. It is spun into thread and woven into cloth.
It is a noun and also an adjective: a cotton shirt, a cotton ball.
My T-shirt is made of cotton.
She wiped the cut with a cotton ball.
🔊 Pronunciation
KOT-n
The stress is on the first part. The end sounds like a quick -n.
🗣️ Natural Examples
I like cotton socks in summer.
The farmer grew fields of cotton.
Please pass me a cotton ball.
My pyjamas are soft cotton.
In the US, cotton candy is a fluffy sugar treat.
🛠️ How to Use It
Cotton is a very common word for materials.
- As a material, it is uncountable: some cotton, a piece of cotton.
- Before another noun, it works like an adjective: a cotton dress.
- Cotton wool is a British phrase for soft cotton balls. Americans say cotton balls.
- Cotton candy is American English. British English says candy floss.
🤝 Common Word Partners
- pure cotton
- a cotton shirt
- cotton wool
- cotton balls
- cotton candy
- a cotton field
👯 Similar and Related Words
- wool: a warm fibre that comes from sheep.
- linen: a cool fabric made from the flax plant.
- fabric / cloth: material made from fibres.
- cotton on: an informal British phrase meaning to start to understand something.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Spelling. There are two ts.
❌ coton, cotten
✅ cotton
Don't count the material.
❌ I bought two cottons.
✅ I bought two cotton shirts.
Cotton wool or cotton candy? Look at the place.
✅ UK: cotton wool (soft balls) and candy floss (sweet).
✅ US: cotton balls and cotton candy.
💬 In a Conversation
Mia: Why is the Spanish word algodón?
Sam: It still has the Arabic al.
Mia: And English dropped it.
Sam: English forgot the al and kept the cotton.
Mia: Cotton is the sock of words.
🕵️ Where Does It Come From?
English took the word from Old French coton, in use in the 1100s. English had it by the late 1200s. Old French got it, through Provençal, Italian or Old Spanish, from Arabic quṭn, a word perhaps of Egyptian origin.
Italian cotone and Spanish algodón come from the same Arabic word. In Spanish, the Arabic al- ("the") stayed on the front. English lost it along the way.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Line up three cousins: cotton, cotone, algodón.
They all grew from the same Arabic word. Only the Spanish one still wears the old al- like a little hat.