COCOON


Meaning of COCOON in English

I. kə-ˈkün noun

Etymology: French cocon, from Occitan coucoun, from coco shell, probably ultimately from Latin coccum kermes (thought to be a gall or berry), from Greek kokkos berry, kermes

Date: 1679

1.

a. : an envelope often largely of silk which an insect larva forms about itself and in which it passes the pupa stage

b. : any of various other protective coverings produced by animals

2.

a. : something suggesting a cocoon especially in providing protection or in producing isolation

wrapped in a cocoon of blankets

an interest in the world beyond the everyday cocoon most of us construct — Peter Mayle

b. : a protective covering placed or sprayed over military or naval equipment in storage

II. transitive verb

Date: 1881

: to wrap or envelop in or as if in a cocoon

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.