cotton-machine

A worker operates the cotton-machine in the textile mill.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A machine for processing cotton: "cotton-machine" refers to a mechanical device used in the production of cotton yarn or fabric, specifically for carding, spinning, or weaving cotton fibers. This term is often used historically for machinery in textile mills.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The invention of the cotton-machine revolutionized the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. (A mechanical device that processes cotton fibers into yarn or cloth.)
  • Workers operated the cotton-machine to produce thread for weaving. (A machine used in spinning cotton.)

Advanced Usage

• "cotton-machine" can refer to specific types of machinery, such as a cotton gin (separating seeds from fibers) or a spinning mule (producing yarn), but the term is less common in modern contexts where "cotton gin" or "spinning machine" is preferred.
  • The old cotton-machine in the museum is a model from the 19th century. (A historical textile machine.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cotton (n): a soft, fluffy fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, used for making textiles.
  • He wore a shirt made of pure cotton. (Natural fiber from the cotton plant.)
• Machine (n): an apparatus using mechanical power to perform a task.
  • The machine broke down after hours of use. (Mechanical device.)

Synonyms

• Spinning machine: a device specifically for twisting fibers into thread.
• Textile machine: a broader term for machinery used in fabric production.

Related Idioms

• *No direct idioms exist for "cotton-machine", but "cotton to" means to like or become fond of something.
  • She quickly cottoned to the idea of using a new cotton-machine. (She grew to like the idea.)