cotton
cotton — noun
1. 棉株種子周圍生長的白色柔軟纖維，經採收後可用來紡紗、織布或製作其他紡織品
棉株種子周圍生長的白色柔軟纖維，經採收後可用來紡紗、織布或製作其他紡織品
Ravindra's family has grown cotton on their farm in Gujarat for three generations.
collocation: grow cotton
The soft cotton is carefully separated from the seeds by a machine called a gin.
Cotton remains one of the most important natural materials used in the clothing industry.
collocation: natural materials + clothing industry
Hao learned how cotton is turned into thread at the textile factory near his home.
collocation: turned into thread
- grow cotton
- pick cotton
- harvest cotton
- raw cotton
- cotton field
- cotton plant
- cotton gin
- cotton production
Grammar Patterns
cotton + noun (as modifier)
countable when referring to types or crops
Usage Note
Uncountable when referring to the raw fiber as a substance. Can be countable when referring to specific varieties or crops (e.g., 'Egyptian cottons'). Often used as a modifier before nouns: cotton field, cotton production.
Common Mistakes
2. 用棉花纖維紡成的紗線或織成的布料，常用來製作衣物、寢具等日常用品
用棉花纖維紡成的紗線或織成的布料，常用來製作衣物、寢具等日常用品
Yasmin chose a light blue cotton dress for the beach party last Saturday.
pattern: cotton + garment type (cotton dress)
This shirt is made from 100 percent cotton, so it feels very soft against the skin.
pattern: made from + [percentage] + cotton
The tailor wound strong cotton thread around the spool before starting to sew.
collocation: cotton thread
Jude prefers cotton sheets because they keep him cool during the long summer nights.
collocation: cotton sheets
- cotton shirt
- cotton dress
- cotton fabric
- cotton cloth
- cotton thread
- 100% cotton
- pure cotton
- cotton trousers
- cotton sheets
- cotton bedding
- synthetic
cotton is natural; synthetics like polyester are man-made alternatives
Grammar Patterns
cotton + noun (garment type)
100% cotton
made of cotton
a cotton + noun
Usage Note
Uncountable when referring to the material in general. When describing a garment: 'a cotton shirt' (NOT 'a cotton'). For sewing, 'cotton' alone typically means cotton thread. Contrast with 'blend' fabrics (e.g., cotton-polyester).
Common Mistakes
3. 經消毒處理的柔軟棉絮，常用來清潔皮膚、傷口或塗抹藥品
經消毒處理的柔軟棉絮，常用來清潔皮膚、傷口或塗抹藥品
A nurse used a cotton ball soaked in alcohol to clean the wound carefully.
collocation: a piece of cotton
Yael gently pressed a clean cotton pad against the bleeding cut on her finger.
collocation: cotton pad
Apinya removed her eye makeup carefully using a soft cotton ball and some cleanser.
collocation: cotton ball
Dr. Okafor used sterile cotton to clean the wound before putting on a fresh bandage.
collocation: sterile cotton
- cotton ball
- cotton pad
- cotton swab
- cotton wool
- piece of cotton
- absorbent cotton
- sterile cotton
- cotton wool
full form of this sense; 'cotton' alone is the shortened version
- absorbent cotton
technical term, especially in medical supplies
Grammar Patterns
a piece of cotton
a cotton ball
cotton + pad/swab/ball
Usage Note
In British English, 'cotton' alone often means cotton wool (cleaning cotton). In American English, the term 'cotton ball' or 'cotton pad' is more common. Frequently used in medical and cosmetic contexts.
4. 生長在溫暖地區的農作物，其種子周圍會長出白色纖維，可收穫後加工製成紡織原料
生長在溫暖地區的農作物，其種子周圍會長出白色纖維，可收穫後加工製成紡織原料
Large fields of cotton stretch across the flat plains of northern Texas.
collocation: fields of cotton
The cotton plant needs plenty of sunshine and warm weather throughout the growing season.
Farmers in Uzbekistan harvest cotton by hand each autumn when the bolls burst open.
collocation: harvest cotton
The cotton crop failed this year because there was not enough rain during the spring.
collocation: cotton crop
- cotton plant
- cotton crop
- cotton field
- cotton farm
- grow cotton
- harvest cotton
- plant cotton
- cotton boll
- cotton plant
full term; 'cotton' alone implies the plant when in agricultural context
Grammar Patterns
grow cotton
cotton + field/plant/farm/crop
Usage Note
Countable when referring to individual plants ('a cotton plant'). Uncountable when referring to the crop as a whole ('grow cotton', 'cotton production'). Distinguished from Sense 1 (the fiber) by context — this sense focuses on the living plant or agricultural crop.
Charles Cotton
idiomCharles Cotton (1630–1687)，英格蘭作家與翻譯家，以《釣魚大全》續篇及蒙田隨筆英譯本著稱
Charles Cotton is best remembered for his contribution to Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler.
John Cotton
idiomJohn Cotton (1585–1652)，生於英格蘭的美國清教徒牧師，曾任麻薩諸塞灣殖民地波士頓教會領袖
John Cotton was one of the most influential Puritan ministers in early colonial New England.
cotton — verb
1. 對某人或某事產生好感、喜歡或合得來（常用於否定句或疑問句）
對某人或某事產生好感、喜歡或合得來（常用於否定句或疑問句）
The old professor did not cotton to the new digital teaching methods at first.
negative form: did not cotton to
Hamza never really cottoned to the idea of moving to a big city for work.
collocation: cotton to the idea of
The children quickly cottoned to their cheerful new neighbour who shared sweets with them.
Christopher did not cotton to the strict attendance rules at his new school at all.
negative form: did not cotton to
- take to
more common and neutral; 'take to someone' = begin to like them
- warm to
similar meaning but suggests gradual increase in liking
- hit it off with
more informal; mutual liking from the start
- dislike
direct opposite; more formal and much more common
Grammar Patterns
cotton to + noun/pronoun
usually negative or with 'never/didn't'
Usage Note
Phrasal verb: cotton to + object. Almost always appears in the negative ('did not / never cotton to') or with a qualifier ('didn't quite cotton to'). In affirmative contexts it has a slightly old-fashioned feel. The object is typically a person, an idea, or a situation. Do not separate the verb and particle (*cotton someone to).
Common Mistakes
2. 經過一段時間後開始理解或明白某事（尤指原本不清楚或需要思考的事情）
經過一段時間後開始理解或明白某事（尤指原本不清楚或需要思考的事情）
Constanza finally cottoned on to the rules of the board game after a few rounds.
pattern: cotton on to + noun
The students cottoned on quickly when they saw how the experiment actually worked.
Élise cottoned on that her teammates were planning a surprise party for her birthday.
pattern: cotton on + that-clause
Mark eventually cottoned on that his friends had been teasing him about the trip.
- catch on
most common synonym; same phrasal verb structure
- figure out
more common in American English; transitive
- twig
British informal; similar meaning ('He twigged what was happening')
- get
very informal; 'I don't get it' = I don't understand
- miss
to fail to understand or notice
Grammar Patterns
cotton on + to + noun/pronoun
cotton on + that-clause
Usage Note
Phrasal verb: cotton on (to). Often used with 'finally' or 'eventually' to indicate that understanding came after a period of confusion. Can be followed by 'to + noun' or a 'that-clause'. Also used in the simple form 'cotton on' without a complement ('It took him a while to cotton on'). This sense is informal and more common in British than American English.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- cottonyadjectiveC1
- cotton-pickingadjectiveC1
- cotton millnounB2
- cotton farmernounB1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
Cotton, linen, wool, and polyester are all materials used to make clothing, but they differ in source, feel, and care. Cotton comes from the cotton plant's soft white fibers; it is breathable, absorbent, and comfortable against the skin, making it a popular choice for everyday wear such as T-shirts and bedsheets. Linen is made from the flax plant — its fibers are stronger and more textured than cotton, giving garments a crisp, cool feel ideal for hot weather. Wool comes from animal fleece (usually sheep); it is warm, insulating, and can be itchy against the skin unless blended with other fibers. Polyester is a synthetic fabric made from petroleum; it is durable, wrinkle-resistant, and dries quickly, but it does not breathe as well as cotton. For daily comfort, cotton is usually the preferred choice; for warmth, choose wool; for summer elegance, choose linen; and for athletic wear that wicks moisture, polyester performs best.
Etymology
「cotton」一詞源自阿拉伯語 qutn（或 qutun），經由古意大利語 cotone 傳入中古法語 coton，再進入中古英語 coton。該植物原產於印度和非洲，阿拉伯商人將其傳入歐洲。隨著工業革命時期棉花貿易的蓬勃發展，這個詞在英語中從植物纖維的意義擴展到布料、縫紉線和醫療用棉等多個相關義項。