Cottonwood
/ˈkɑtənˌwʊd/noun
A North American poplar tree with soft, cottony seeds.
Did you know?The name is straightforwardly descriptive: the tree was called cottonwood because its seed tufts look like drifting cotton, not because it has any ancient occult origin.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern English
English
cottonwood
“A poplar tree noted for its cotton-like seed fluff.”
17th–18th Century
English
cotton
“Soft, fluffy textile fiber; by extension, anything resembling it in texture.”
Middle English
English
cotoun
“Cotton, the soft fiber from the cotton plant.”
Old French
Old French
coton
“Cotton.”
Arabic
Arabic
quṭn
“Cotton.”
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