different between cotton vs kapok

English

Etymology 1

Middle English cotoun, from Anglo-Norman cotun, Old French coton, from (Genoese) Old Italian cotone, from Arabic ?????? (qu?un), of uncertain origin. There is no apparent semantic link between the Arabic word and the root ? ? ?? (q-?-n), leading to suggestions that it is a corruption of another word, such as ??????? (katt?n, “flax”) or (more distant phonologically) ???????? (jafna, “vine”). Cognate to Dutch katoen, German Kattun, Italian cotone, Spanish algodón, and Portuguese algodão.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?t.n?/, [?k??.n?]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?t.n?/
• Rhymes: -?t?n
• Hyphenation: cot?ton

Noun

cotton (usually uncountable, plural cottons)

1. Gossypium, a genus of plant used as a source of cotton fiber.
2. Any plant that encases its seed in a thin fiber that is harvested and used as a fabric or cloth.
3. Any fiber similar in appearance and use to Gossypium fiber.
4. (textiles) The textile made from the fiber harvested from a cotton plant, especially Gossypium.
5. (countable) An item of clothing made from cotton.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

cotton (not comparable)

1. Made of cotton.

Translations

Verb

cotton (third-person singular simple present cottons, present participle cottoning, simple past and past participle cottoned)

1. (transitive) To provide with cotton.
   1. To supply with a cotton wick.
   2. To fill with a wad of cotton.
   3. (horticulture) To wrap with a protective layer of cotton fabric.
   4. To cover walls with fabric.
   5. (tar and cotton) To cover with cotton bolls over a layer of tar (analogous to tar and feather )
2. To make or become cotton-like
   1. To raise a nap, providing with a soft, cottony texture.
   2. To develop a porous, cottony texture.
   3. To give the appearance of being dotted with cotton balls.
   4. To enshroud with a layer of whiteness.
3. To protect from harsh stimuli, coddle, or muffle.
4. To rub or burnish with cotton.

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “cotton”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• Duschak, Moritz (1870) Die Botanik des Talmud (in German), Pest: I. Neuer, pages 7–10
• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 42
• Löw, Immanuel (1881) Aramæische Pflanzennamen?^[2] (in German), Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann, page 92
• Löw, Immanuel (1924) Die Flora der Juden?^[3] (in German), volume 2, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, pages 235 seqq., for Arabic Löw, Immanuel (1924) Die Flora der Juden?^[4] (in German), volume 2, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, pages 241–242.

Etymology 2

1560s, either from Welsh cydun, cytun (“agree, coincide”) (cyduno, cytuno), from cyd, cyt + un (“one”), literally “to be at one with”, or by metaphor with the textile, as cotton blended well with other textiles, notably wool in hat-making.

Verb

cotton (third-person singular simple present cottons, present participle cottoning, simple past and past participle cottoned)

1. To get on with someone or something; to have a good relationship with someone.

Usage notes

Generally used with prepositions on, to; see cotton on, cotton to.

Derived terms

• cotton on
• cotton to

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “cotton”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• Take Our Word For It: Issue 178, page 2
• Palmer, Abram Smythe (1882) Folk-etymology: a dictionary of verbal corruptions or words perverted in form or meaning, by false derivation or mistaken analogy, G. Bell and Sons, page 76

Middle English

Noun

cotton

1. (Late Middle English) Alternative form of coton

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay kapuk (“silky fibre from the silk-cotton tree; Ceiba pentandra”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?ke?p?k/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?ke??p?k/
• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /?k??p??k/, [?k??p???]
• Hyphenation: ka?pok

Noun

kapok (countable and uncountable, plural kapoks)

1. A silky fibre obtained from seed pods of the silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) used for insulation and stuffing for mattresses, pillows, etc.

   Synonym: mumian

   • 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, p. 492:

     The moon came out of hiding and for a moment Jerry forgot his anxiety as a little grey-clad figure, small and sturdy [...], in a kapok coat and bulging proletarian cap, lowered himself over the side and leapt for the waiting arms of the sampan's crew.

   • 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber & Faber 2003, p. 39:

     You can stuff them full of kapok to make a decent cushion and there is nothing better to carry frogs in.

   • 1993, Tim Winton, Land's Edge, Picador 2014, p. 15:

     A still summer night a world away in a house that smells of cactus and dust and musty kapok.

2. The silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra).

   Synonyms: kapok tree, (Haiti) mapou, mumian

3. The cotton tree, Malabar silk-cotton tree, or red silk-cotton tree (Bombax ceiba).

   Synonym: kapok tree

Alternative forms

• capoc
• kapoc

Derived terms

• kapok tree

Translations

References

Further reading

• Ceiba pentandra on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Bombax ceiba on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• kapok (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• kapok tree (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Ceiba pentandra on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Bombax ceiba on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Ceiba pentandra on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Bombax ceiba on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Anagrams

• Kopka

Cebuano

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ka?pok

Noun

kapok

1. (rare) the kapok tree or silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra)
2. (rare) the fiber obtained from this tree

Hungarian

Etymology

kap +? -ok

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?k?pok]
• Hyphenation: ka?pok

Verb

kapok

1. first-person singular indicative present indefinite of kap