Words / A2

KOTN/ˈkɒtn/

Cotton is a plant fibre and the cloth made from it: a cotton shirt, 100% cotton, cotton sheets. Wool is warmer; silk is smoother and dearer. Cotton wool is the soft pad for skin, not clothing. Cotton on to something is an idiom meaning start to understand — later than A2. Say made of cotton.

Meaning

A cloth made from a plant, often used for summer clothes.

Examples

• “This shirt is made of cotton, so it feels cool.”
• “Cotton clothes are cooler in hot weather.”
• “This bag is cotton, not plastic.”

Good to know

a cotton shirt / 100% cotton. Contrast: wool, silk. Mix-up: cotton wool (pads).

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