[cot.ton] n, often attrib [ME coton, fr. MF, fr. Ar qutun] (14c) 1 a: a soft usu. white fibrous substance composed of the hairs surrounding the seeds of various erect freely branching tropical plants (genus Gossypium) of the mallow family b: a plant producing cotton; esp: one grown for its cotton c: a crop of cotton
2. a: fabric made of cotton b: yarn spun from cotton
3: a downy cottony substance produced by various plants (as the cottonwood)
[2]cotton vi cot.toned ; cot.ton.ing (1605) 1: to take a liking--used with to "~s to people easily"
2: to come to understand--used with to or on to "~ed on to the fact that our children work furiously --H. M. McLuhan"