Cotton grass

Cotton grass
Cotton Cot"ton (k[o^]t"t'n), 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]

Note: 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} (Zo["o]l.), a species of bark louse ({Pulvinaria innumerabilis}), which does great damage to the cotton plant.

{Cotton shrub}. Same as Cotton plant.

{Cotton stainer} (Zo["o]l.), 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]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • cotton grass — n. any of a genus (Eriophorum) of grasslike plants of the sedge family, with flower heads resembling tufts of cotton, common in northern bogs …   English World dictionary

  • cotton grass — noun any sedge of the genus Eriophorum; north temperate bog plants with tufted spikes • Syn: ↑cotton rush • Hypernyms: ↑sedge • Hyponyms: ↑common cotton grass, ↑Eriophorum angustifolium • …   Useful english dictionary

  • cotton-grass — švylys statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Šeima. Viksvuoliniai – Cyperaceae Juss. atitikmenys: lot. Eriophorum angl. cotton grass; cottonsedge vok. Mitzker; Wollgras rus. пушица lenk. wełnianka …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • cotton grass — cot′ton grass n. pln any rushlike plant constituting the genus Eriophorum, of the sedge family, common in swampy places and bearing spikes resembling tufts of cotton • Etymology: 1590–1600 …   From formal English to slang

  • cotton grass — any rushlike plant constituting the genus Eriophorum, of the sedge family, common in swampy places and bearing spikes resembling tufts of cotton. [1590 1600; so called from its cottonlike heads] * * * …   Universalium

  • cotton grass — noun Date: 1597 any of a genus (Eriophorum) of sedges with tufted spikes …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • cotton grass — noun a sedge producing tufts of long white silky hairs which aid in the dispersal of the seeds. [Genus Eriophorum.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • cotton-grass — …   Useful english dictionary

  • common cotton-grass — siauralapis švylys statusas T sritis vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Eriophorum angustifolium angl. common cotton grass; narrow leaved cotton grass vok. schmalblättriges Wollgras; Torf Wollgras; wilde Baumwolle rus. пушица многоколосковая; пушица… …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • narrow-leaved cotton-grass — siauralapis švylys statusas T sritis vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Eriophorum angustifolium angl. common cotton grass; narrow leaved cotton grass vok. schmalblättriges Wollgras; Torf Wollgras; wilde Baumwolle rus. пушица многоколосковая; пушица… …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

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