Cotton vs. Linen — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Cotton and Linen
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Compare with Definitions
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose.
Linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton.
Cotton
Any of various shrubby plants of the genus Gossypium, having showy flowers and grown for the soft white downy fibers surrounding oil-rich seeds.
Linen
Cloth woven from flax
A linen suit
He dealt in Irish linens
Cotton
The fiber of any of these plants, used in making textiles and other products.
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Linen
Thread made from fibers of the flax plant.
Cotton
Thread or cloth manufactured from the fiber of these plants.
Linen
Cloth woven from this thread.
Cotton
Any of various soft downy substances produced by other plants, as on the seeds of a cottonwood.
Linen
Also linens Articles or garments, such as sheets, tablecloths, or underwear, formerly made of linen and now usually made of other fabrics, especially cotton.
Cotton
To take a liking; attempt to be friendly
A dog that didn't cotton to strangers.
An administration that will cotton up to the most repressive of regimes.
Linen
Paper made from flax fibers or having a linenlike luster.
Cotton
To come to understand. Often used with to or onto
"The German bosses ... never cottoned to such changes" (N.R. Kleinfield).
Linen
Made of flax or linen.
Cotton
Gossypium, a genus of plant used as a source of cotton fiber.
Linen
Resembling linen.
Cotton
Any plant that encases its seed in a thin fiber that is harvested and used as a fabric or cloth.
Linen
(uncountable) Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
Cotton
Any fiber similar in appearance and use to Gossypium fiber.
Linen
(countable) Domestic textiles, such as tablecloths, bedding, towels, underclothes, etc., that are made of linen or linen-like fabrics of cotton or other fibers; linens.
She put the freshly cleaned linens into the linen closet.
Cotton
(textiles) The textile made from the fiber harvested from a cotton plant, especially Gossypium.
Linen
A light beige colour, like that of linen cloth undyed.
Cotton
(countable) An item of clothing made from cotton.
Linen
Made from linen cloth or thread.
Cotton
Made of cotton.
Linen
Having the colour linen, light beige.
Cotton
(transitive) To provide with cotton.
Linen
Made of linen; as, linen cloth; a linen stocking.
Cotton
To supply with a cotton wick.
Linen
Resembling linen cloth; white; pale.
Cotton
To fill with a wad of cotton.
Linen
Thread or cloth made of flax or (rarely) of hemp; - used in a general sense to include cambric, shirting, sheeting, towels, tablecloths, etc.; as, bed linens
Cotton
(horticulture) To wrap with a protective layer of cotton fabric.
Linen
Underclothing, esp. the shirt, as being, in former times, chiefly made of linen.
Cotton
To cover walls with fabric.
Linen
A fabric woven with fibers from the flax plant
Cotton
(tar and cotton) To cover with cotton bolls over a layer of tar (analogous to tar and feather )
Linen
A high-quality paper made of linen fibers or with a linen finish
Cotton
To make or become cotton-like
Linen
White goods or clothing made with linen cloth
Cotton
To raise a nap, providing with a soft, cottony texture.
Cotton
To develop a porous, cottony texture.
Cotton
To give the appearance of being dotted with cotton balls.
Cotton
To enshroud with a layer of whiteness.
Cotton
To protect from harsh stimuli, coddle, or muffle.
Cotton
To rub or burnish with cotton.
Cotton
To get on with someone or something; to have a good relationship with someone.
Cotton
A soft, downy substance, resembling fine wool, consisting of the unicellular twisted hairs which grow on the seeds of the cotton plant. Long-staple cotton has a fiber sometimes almost two inches long; short-staple, from two thirds of an inch to an inch and a half.
Cotton
The cotton plant. See Cotten plant, below.
Cotton
Cloth made of cotton.
Cotton
To rise with a regular nap, as cloth does.
It cottons well; it can not choose but bearA pretty nap.
Cotton
To go on prosperously; to succeed.
New, Hephestion, does not this matter cotton as I would?
Cotton
To unite; to agree; to make friends; - usually followed by with.
A quarrel will end in one of you being turned off, in which case it will not be easy to cotton with another.
Didst see, Frank, how the old goldsmith cottoned in with his beggarly companion?
Cotton
To take a liking to; to stick to one as cotton; - used with to.
Cotton
Silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state
Cotton
Fabric woven from cotton fibers
Cotton
Erect bushy mallow plant or small tree bearing bolls containing seeds with many long hairy fibers
Cotton
Thread made of cotton fibers
Cotton
Take a liking to;
Cotton to something
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