cotton
gb/kˈɑtən/ us/kˈɑtən/
A2
English
~ 3300
pamut, gyapot, megkedvel, megbarátkozik, ráérez
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[something] made of cotton
She wore a light cotton dress in the summer.
Nyáron könnyű pamutruhát viselt.
The farmers harvested the cotton in early autumn.
A gazdák kora ősszel takarították be a gyapotot.
Cotton is one of the most widely used natural fibers in the world.
I prefer cotton sheets because they feel cooler.
The shirt is made from 100% organic cotton.
Learner examples
My T-shirt is made of cotton.
A pólóm pamutból készült.
Cotton grows on a plant.
A gyapot növényen nő.
I bought a cotton bag.
This bed sheet is cotton.
Cotton is soft and white.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'cotton' (the fiber) with 'cotton plant' (the whole plant).
Meaning
Soft white plant fibers
Collocations
cotton shirt
|cotton fabric
|cotton ball
|cotton field
|cotton industry
Synonyms
fiber (General term for natural or synthetic thread-like material.)
Antonyms
synthetic (Refers to man-made fibers rather than natural ones like cotton.)
Themes
materials
|clothing
|agriculture
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Soft white threads from a plant, used to make clothes and fabrics.
The soft white fibers that grow around the seeds of the cotton plant, used to make textiles and other products.
NOUN
B1
2
gyapot
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] grows cotton
Cotton is widely cultivated in warm climates.
A gyapotot széles körben termesztik meleg éghajlaton.
The pests destroyed much of the cotton this season.
A kártevők ebben a szezonban a gyapot nagy részét elpusztították.
Cotton requires a lot of water to grow.
He invested in cotton farming in the south.
The museum displayed tools used in traditional cotton harvesting.
Learner examples
Farmers grow cotton in hot countries.
A gazdák forró országokban gyapotot termesztenek.
Cotton grows in fields.
A gyapot földeken nő.
They harvest cotton in summer.
We saw a cotton plant at the farm.
Cotton needs sun to grow.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'cotton' (fiber) with 'cotton' (plant), not realizing context changes meaning.
Meaning
Plant that yields cotton fibers
Collocations
cotton crop
|cotton farmer
|cotton plantation
Synonyms
cotton plant (Specifies the whole plant, not just the fiber.)
Themes
agriculture
|plants
|nature
|science
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A plant that grows soft white threads used to make clothes and fabrics.
A tropical and subtropical plant grown for its soft white fibers used in making textiles.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] cottons to [someone/something]
It took me a while to cotton to the new manager.
Beletelt egy kis időbe, mire megkedveltem az új vezetőt.
She didn't immediately cotton to the proposal, but came around later.
Nem barátkozott meg azonnal a javaslattal, de később elfogadta.
The kids quickly cottoned to their new teacher.
He never really cottoned to city life.
I think the audience will soon cotton to the concept.
Learner examples
I did not cotton to my new job at first.
Eleinte nem tudtam megbarátkozni az új munkámmal.
He will cotton to his classmates soon.
Hamarosan meg fogja kedvelni az osztálytársait.
She cottoned to the idea after some time.
They will cotton to the new rules.
I quickly cottoned to my new teacher.
Common mistake:
Learners may mistakenly think this meaning relates to fabric; it's unrelated and informal.
Meaning
Begin to like or understand
Collocations
cotton to an idea
|cotton to a person
Synonyms
warm up to (Slightly more common phrase meaning gradually starting to like someone or something.)
Antonyms
take a dislike to (Means to quickly begin disliking someone or something.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To start liking a person or thing, or to start understanding something.
To begin to like someone or something, or to start understanding an idea or situation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cotton
IPA
GB/kˈɑtən/
US/kˈɑtən/
Syllables & stress
cot - ton (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cot)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cotton
- Plural: cotton, cottons
Word family
Forms
cottons
noun
Core family
cottony
adjective
Expressions
cotton on (to)
1/kˈɑtən ˈɔn tə/
phrasal verb
informal
Begin to understand something
To start to understand something, often after some time.
Examples
- It took him a while to cotton on to what they were planning.
- She finally cottoned on that they were joking.
cotton wool
1/kˈɑtən wˈʊl/
fixed phrase
Soft fluffy material for cleaning or padding
Soft white material made from cotton, used for cleaning or protecting things.
Examples
- She cleaned the cut with some cotton wool.
- The glassware was packed in cotton wool.
in high cotton
1/ˈɪn hˈaɪ kˈɑtən/
idiom
informal
In a good or wealthy situation
To be living well, often with money or comfort.
Examples
- Ever since she got that promotion, she's been in high cotton.
- They were in high cotton after winning the lottery.