n. [ F. coton, Sp. algodon the cotton plant and its wool, coton printed cotton, cloth, fr. Ar. qutun, alqutun, cotton wool. Cf. Acton, Hacqueton. ] 1. A soft, downy substance, resembling fine wool, consisting of the unicellular twisted hairs which grow on the seeds of the cotton plant. Long-staple cotton has a fiber sometimes almost two inches long; short-staple, from two thirds of an inch to an inch and a half. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The cotton plant. See Cotten plant, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Cloth made of cotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Cotton is used as an adjective before many nouns in a sense which commonly needs no explanation; as, cotton bagging; cotton cloth; cotton goods; cotton industry; cotton mill; cotton spinning; cotton tick. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cotton cambric. See Cambric, n., 2. --
Cotton flannel, the manufactures' name for a heavy cotton fabric, twilled, and with a long plush nap. In England it is called swan's-down cotton, or Canton flannel. --
Cotton gin, a machine to separate the seeds from cotton, invented by Eli Whitney. --
Cotton grass (Bot.), a genus of plants (Eriphorum) of the Sedge family, having delicate capillary bristles surrounding the fruit (seedlike achenia), which elongate at maturity and resemble tufts of cotton. --
Cotton mouse (Zool.), a field mouse (Hesperomys gossypinus), injurious to cotton crops. --
Cotton plant (Bot.), a plant of the genus Gossypium, of several species, all growing in warm climates, and bearing the cotton of commerce. The common species, originally Asiatic, is Gossypium herbaceum. --
Cotton press, a building and machinery in which cotton bales are compressed into smaller bulk for shipment; a press for baling cotton. --
Cotton rose (Bot.), a genus of composite herbs (Filago), covered with a white substance resembling cotton. --
Cotton scale (Zool.), a species of bark louse (Pulvinaria innumerabilis), which does great damage to the cotton plant. --
Cotton shrub. Same as Cotton plant. --
Cotton stainer (Zool.), a species of hemipterous insect (Dysdercus suturellus), which seriously damages growing cotton by staining it; -- called also redbug. --
Cotton thistle (Bot.), the Scotch thistle. See under Thistle. --
Cotton velvet, velvet in which the warp and woof are both of cotton, and the pile is of silk; also, velvet made wholly of cotton. --
Cotton waste, the refuse of cotton mills. --
Cotton wool, cotton in its raw or woolly state. --
Cotton worm (Zool.), a lepidopterous insect (Aletia argillacea), which in the larval state does great damage to the cotton plant by eating the leaves. It also feeds on corn, etc., and hence is often called corn worm, and Southern army worm. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To rise with a regular nap, as cloth does. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

It cottons well; it can not choose but bear
A pretty nap. Family of Love. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To go on prosperously; to succeed. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

New, Hephestion, does not this matter cotton as I would? Lyly. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To unite; to agree; to make friends; -- usually followed by with. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A quarrel will end in one of you being turned off, in which case it will not be easy to cotton with another. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

Didst see, Frank, how the old goldsmith cottoned in with his beggarly companion? Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To take a liking to; to stick to one as cotton; -- used with to. [ Slang ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. cottonade. ] A somewhat stout and thick fabric of cotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to, or composed of, cotton; cottony. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Cottonary and woolly pillows. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

. Cotton prepared in sheets or rolls for quilting, upholstering, and similar purposes. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. venomous semiaquatic snake (Agkistrodon piscivorus) of swamps in southern U.S.; -- called also water moccasin, cottonmouth moccasin, and cottonmouth water moccasin. It grows to a length of about 4 feet. The name refers to the whiteness of the lips and inside of the mouth.
Syn. -- water moccasin, cottonmouth moccasin, Agkistrodon piscivorus. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. Resembling cotton. [ R. ] Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or , usually collectively, } n. The seed of the cotton plant. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. A meal made from hulled cotton seeds after the oil has been expressed. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. A fixed, semidrying oil extracted from cottonseed. It is pale yellow when pure (sp. gr., .92-.93). and is extensively used in soap making, in cookery, and as an adulterant of other oils. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. Alabama; -- a nickname. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Zool.) The American wood rabbit (Lepus sylvaticus); -- also called Molly cottontail. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) See Cudweed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a type of grunt (Haemulon melanurum) of warm Atlantic waters.
Syn. -- Haemulon melanurum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Bot.) An American tree of the genus Populus or poplar, having the seeds covered with abundant cottonlike hairs; esp., the Populus monilifera and Populus angustifolia of the Western United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Covered with hairs or pubescence, like cotton; downy; nappy; woolly. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to cotton; resembling cotton in appearance or character; soft, like cotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

See under Gun. [ 1913 Webster ]