Nearby Words
noun
1.
the silky envelope spun by the larvae of many insects, as silkworms, serving as a covering while they are in the pupal stage.
2.
3.
a protective covering, usually consisting of polyvinyl chloride, sprayed over machinery, large guns on board ships, etc., to provide an airtight seal and prevent rust during long periods of storage.
4.
any encompassingly protective or hermetic wrapping or enclosure resembling a cocoon: a cocoon of gauze.
verb (used without object)
5.
to produce a cocoon.
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Cocoon
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
verb (used with object)
6.
to wrap or enclose tightly, as if in a cocoon: The doctor cocooned the patient in blankets.
7.
to provide (machinery, guns, etc.) with a protective, airtight covering by spraying with polyvinyl chloride or the like.
8.
to envelop or surround protectively; insulate: a political leader cocooned by his staff and his bodyguards.
Origin:
1690–1700; < French cocon < Provençal coucoun egg-shell, equivalent to coco shell (< Latin coccum; see cochineal) + French -on diminutive suffix
1690–1700; < French cocon < Provençal coucoun egg-shell, equivalent to coco shell (< Latin coccum; see cochineal) + French -on diminutive suffix
Related forms
co·coon·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To cocoon
Example Sentences
- Schools debate whether to extend the nurturing cocoon of elementary school or to rush students into high school.
- We do not want them emerging from the academic cocoon only to be blindsided by.
- Teetering banks were wrapped in a multi-trillion-dollar cocoon of public cash and guarantees.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
cocoon
1699, from Fr. coucon, from coque "clam shell, egg shell, nut shell," from O.Fr. coque "shell," from L. coccum "berry," from Gk. kokkos "berry, seed."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
cocoon  (kə-k n') Pronunciation Key
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
cocoon
a case produced in the larval stage of certain animals (e.g., butterflies, moths, leeches, earthworms, Turbellaria) for the resting pupal stage (see pupa) in the life cycle. Certain spiders spin a fibrous mass, or cocoon, to cover their eggs
Learn more about cocoon with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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