̈ɪˈkɔtn n. & v. --n. 1 a
soft white fibrous substance covering the seeds of
certain plants. 2 a (in full cotton plant)
such a
plant,
esp.
any of the
genus Gossypium. b cotton-plants cultivated as a
crop for the
fibre or the seeds. 3
thread or
cloth made from the fibre. 4 (attrib.) made of cotton. --v.intr. (foll. by to) be attracted by (a person). øcotton-cake compressed cotton
seed used as
food for
cattle. cotton
candy US
candyfloss. cotton-gin a
machine for separating cotton from
its seeds. cotton-grass any grasslike plant of the genus Eriophorum,
with long white
silky hairs. cotton on (often foll. by to) colloq.
begin to
understand. cotton-picking US sl.
unpleasant,
wretched. cotton
waste refuse
yarn used to
clean machinery etc. cotton
wool 1 esp.
Brit.
fluffy wadding of a kind orig. made from
raw cotton. 2 US raw cotton. øøcottony adj. [ME f. OF coton f.
Arab. kutn]