| 释义 |
ˌcotton-ˈwool, cotton wool, n.
1. a. Cotton in its raw and woolly state, as gathered from the bolls of the plant; raw cotton.
1600Hakluyt Voy. (1810) III. 544 In this Countrey is great store of Cotten wooll, whereof the Indians make fine linnen cloth. 1653H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. lv. 215 They apparel themselves with Stuffs made of Silk and Cotten-wool. 1704Lond. Gaz. No. 3983/4 The Cargo..consisting of..Cotton-yarn, Cotton-wooll, &c. 1813Vansittart (in Examiner 5 Apr. 217/2) The Import of Cotton Wool from the United States. 1868Rogers Pol. Econ. ii. (1876) 11 In a country like India the same person grows, gathers, cleanses and spins the cotton-wool.
†b. pl. Obs.
1638L. Roberts Merch. Map Commerce 118 The commodities that are found here..are cotton woolls..wax, cotton and grogram yarne.
2. a. The same substance as prepared for wadding, quilting, packing fragile articles, etc.
1857Quinland I. i. i. 23 He found a large silver cup, which had been carefully packed away in cotton-wool. 1870Emerson Soc. & Solit. iv. 65, I know no remedy against it but cotton-wool, or the wax which Ulysses stuffed into the ears of his sailors. 1875T. W. Higginson Hist. U.S. x. 79 A coat thickly quilted with cotton-wool. 1884Harper's Mag. Oct. 522/2 They are..boxed in cotton-wool.
b. fig. to be or live in cotton-wool. Also to keep or wrap in cotton-wool.
1869Miss Mulock Woman's Kingd. II. 45 Letty would never be happy unless she lived in clover and cotton-wool. 1889S. A. Barnett Let. 13 Apr. in H. Barnett Canon S.A.B. (1918) II. xxxix. 140 She is still very weak and has to be wrapped in cotton-wool. 1890J. Payn Burnt Million II. xxix. 230 To be in cotton-wool is a phrase significant of superfluous comfort. c1890[see wrap v. 2 a]. 1955M. Gilbert Sky High v. 71 We couldn't keep him in cotton wool.
3. attrib. and Comb.
a. Of, pertaining to, or made from cotton-wool; also, resembling cotton-wool in appearance, etc.
1648in Conn. Public Rec. I. 488 Linnen yearne and Cotton wool yearne. 1860Sat. Rev. IX. 65/2 An increase of competition in the cotton-wool market. 1870Tyndall Fragm. Sc. xi. (1871) 334 A cotton-wool respirator. 1907Daily Chron. 10 Oct. 5/1 A cotton-wool mist descended. 1936Punch 4 Mar. 273/1 The manufacture of cotton-wool snow. 1955A. Ross Australia 55 ix. 116 Wisps of faint, cotton-wool cloud.
b. fig. Protected as if by cotton-wool; timid, etc.
1909Westm. Gaz. 29 Sept. 4/3 The faction of the Press that would make cotton-wool motorists of us all. 1937Daily Express 3 Mar. 21/2 Cotton-wool batsmen who are afraid of fast bowling. 1953X. Fielding Stronghold iv. v. 301 A professor protected by the cotton-wool surroundings of a Common Room.
Hence cotton-wool v. (nonce-wd.), to stuff or close (the ears) with cotton-wool.
1857Motley Corr. 3 May, Cotton-wooling your ears absolutely to all hand-clapping and greasy mob applause. |