cotton: [14] As with knowledge of the plant, its name cotton came to Europe from the Middle East. It originated in Arabic qutn, which passed via Spanish into the other languages of Europe. English acquired it via Old French coton. The verbal idiom cotton (on) to ‘come to understand’ developed in the 20th century from an earlier ‘harmonize, agree’. This in turn has been traced back to a still earlier ‘prosper’, which seems to have originated in the 16th century with the notion of the successful raising of the nap on cotton cloth.
cotton (n.)
late 13c., from Old French coton (12c.), ultimately (via Provençal, Italian, or Old Spanish) from Arabic qutn, a word perhaps of Egyptian origin. Philip Miller of the Chelsea Physic Garden sent the first cotton seeds to American colony of Georgia in 1732. Also ultimately from the Arabic word, Dutch katoen, German Kattun, Provençal coton, Italian cotone, Spanish algodon, Portuguese algodão. Cotton gin is recorded from 1794 (see gin (n.2)).
cotton (v.)
"to get on with" someone (usually with to), 1560s, perhaps from Welsh cytuno "consent, agree." But perhaps also a metaphor from cloth finishing and thus from cotton (n.). Related: Cottoned; cottoning.
实用例句
1. Some of the food crops failed. However, the cotton did quite well.
有些粮食作物歉收。但棉花的收成仍相当不错。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Because it was warm, David wore only a white cotton shirt.
因为天气暖和，戴维只穿了一件白色的棉衬衣。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Prices start at £13.95 a metre for printed cotton.
印花棉布以每米13.95英镑的价格起售。
来自柯林斯例句
4. He was wearing cotton pants and an open-necked shirt.
他穿着纯棉裤子和开领衬衫。
来自柯林斯例句
5. He wore brown corduroy pants and a white cotton shirt.
