cottony

adjective

cot·​tony ˈkät-nē How to pronounce cottony (audio)
ˈkä-tᵊn-ē
: resembling cotton in appearance or character: such as
a
: covered with hairs or pubescence
b
: soft

Examples of cottony in a Sentence

The toys are stuffed with a cottony material. The flowers are small and cottony.
Recent Examples on the Web An egg mass of the citrus mealybug looks like a small, white, cottony mass on the underside of a leaf. Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2024 There, the thickly forested ranges perched on a shelf of cottony clouds, offering a view of the mountaintop complex modeled after 16th century Vietnamese pagodas, including a 10-story belfry, a network of stone staircases and a giant seated Buddha. Patrick Scott, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023 Ladybugs have also been introduced to the Galapagos to reduce cottony cushion scale and have been beneficial there as well. Susan Pransky, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023 Come springtime, a perimeter of blossoming dogwoods will enfold the clearing in a cottony veil. Curbed, 13 Nov. 2022 Buy medium eggplant that is not cottony or bruised. The View, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2022 Mealy bugs are distinguished by the white wax covering their body and egg sacs that give them a cottony appearance. oregonlive, 11 Nov. 2019 The white, cottony look is due to a waxy coating that conceals the insects and their egg masses. Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 29 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cottony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cottony was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near cottony

Cite this Entry

“Cottony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cottony. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cottony

adjective
cot·​tony ˈkät-nē How to pronounce cottony (audio)
-ᵊn-ē
1
: covered with soft hairs : downy
2
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