sea island cotton

noun

often capitalized S&I

: a cotton (Gossypium barbadense) with especially long silky fiber

called also sea island

Examples of sea island cotton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There, on a stretch of the riverbank, sits the McLeod Plantation Historic Site—the 37-acre remains of what was once a 1,700-acre plot and a major producer of sea island cotton. —Latria Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 May 2023

The goods wrought through its plantation economy—indigo, rice, and later sea island cotton—made Charleston the wealthiest city in the 13 colonies. —Latria Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

Sea Islands, chain of islands off the southeastern U.S. coast

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined above