- Also called: purified cotton chiefly Brit bleached and sterilized cotton from which the gross impurities, such as the seeds and waxy matter, have been removed: used for surgical dressings, tampons, etcUsual US term: absorbent cotton
- cotton in the natural state
- Brit informal a state of pampered comfort and protection
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cot′ton wool′,
- Textilescotton in its raw state, as on the boll or gathered but unprocessed.
- British Terms, TextilesSee absorbent cotton.
- 1590–1600
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cotton wool n
'cotton wool' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
absorbent cotton
- cotton bud
- flock
- haik
- tampon
- wad
- batt
- batting
- cavalry twill
- duvetyn
- hopsacking
- lap
- moxa
- noil
- triarylmethane dye
- sweat socks