Cocoons
/kəˈkuːnz/noun
Plural of cocoon: a silky protective case spun by the larvae of some insects, especially moths.
Did you know?The English word cocoon entered through French from Provençal and ultimately from a Malay/Indonesian word for a silkworm case, showing how trade carried both silk and vocabulary across oceans.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
French
cocon
“A silkworm’s case or shell”
17th Century
Provençal
cocou
“A silkworm cocoon”
Malay/Indonesian
Malay
kukur
“A silkworm case or cocoon”
Modern English
English
cocoon
“A silky protective case spun by an insect larva”