cottonwood
noun
cot·ton·wood
ˈkä-tᵊn-ˌwu̇d 
: any of several poplars having seeds with cottony hairs
especially
: one (Populus deltoides) of the eastern and central U.S. often cultivated for its rapid growth and luxuriant foliage
Examples of cottonwood in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By comparison, woods like cottonwood, willows, pines and American elm burn faster and put out less heat in the process.
—
Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2025
Compared to the desolate, almost alien landscape of South Dakota, the North Dakota badlands are flush with vibrant vegetation: Rocky Mountain juniper woodlands, cottonwoods that thrive in the Little Missouri River basin, and sunflowers, asters, and rabbitbrush that bloom in the late summer months.
—Erica Zazo, Outside Online, 9 Jan. 2025
Unfortunately, his right wing struck a cottonwood tree on shore and his plane was swung into more trees while flipping upside down.
—Terry Shaw, Twin Cities, 27 Mar. 2024
Denver Given their size, bald eagle nests need a substantial tree to host them, and in the lowlands of Colorado, that’s almost exclusively old-growth cottonwoods.
—Jamie Siebrase, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2025
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Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2025
Compared to the desolate, almost alien landscape of South Dakota, the North Dakota badlands are flush with vibrant vegetation: Rocky Mountain juniper woodlands, cottonwoods that thrive in the Little Missouri River basin, and sunflowers, asters, and rabbitbrush that bloom in the late summer months.
—Erica Zazo, Outside Online, 9 Jan. 2025
Unfortunately, his right wing struck a cottonwood tree on shore and his plane was swung into more trees while flipping upside down.
—Terry Shaw, Twin Cities, 27 Mar. 2024
Denver Given their size, bald eagle nests need a substantial tree to host them, and in the lowlands of Colorado, that’s almost exclusively old-growth cottonwoods.
—Jamie Siebrase, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cottonwood
Cite this Entry
“Cottonwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cottonwood. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cottonwood
noun
cot·ton·wood
-ˌwu̇d
: a poplar with a small bunch of cottony hairs on the seed
especially
: one of the eastern and central U.S. that grows rapidly and produces many leaves
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