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Cotton vs Swab - What's the difference?

cotton | swab |

As a proper noun cotton

is the name of several settlements around the world or cotton can be .

As a noun swab is

(medicine) a small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids often attached to a stick or wire to aid access.

As a verb swab is

to use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab.

cotton

English

(cotton)

Etymology 1

(etyl) cotoun, from (etyl) cotun, (etyl) coton, from (Genoese) (etyl) cotone, from (Egyptian) (etyl) , possibly originally from (etyl). Cognate to Dutch katoen, German Kattun, Italian cotone, Spanish

Noun

(en-noun)
  • A plant that encases its seed in a thin fiber that is harvested and used as a fabric or cloth.
  • Gossypium , a genus of plant used as a source of cotton fiber.
  • (textiles) The textile made from the fiber harvested from the cotton plant.
  • (countable) An item of clothing made from cotton.
    • Derived terms
    * cotton candy * cottongrass * cotton pad * cotton picker * cottonseed * cotton stripper * cotton wool * cotton gin * cotton card * cotton blend

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Made of cotton.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=2 citation , passage=Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety.  She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet.}}

    Etymology 2

    1560s, either from (etyl) cydun, , literally “to be at one with”, or by metaphor with the textile, as cotton blended well with other textiles, notably wool in hat-making. Take Our Word For It: Issue 178, page 2]Folk-etymology: a dictionary of verbal corruptions or words perverted in form or meaning, by false derivation or mistaken analogy, Abram Smythe Palmer, G. Bell and Sons, 1882, [http://books.google.com/books?id=YX5BAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA76&dq=cotton p. 76

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To get on with someone or something; to have a good relationship with someone.
  • * '>citation
  • * '>citation
    • Usage notes
    Generally used with prepositions on, to; see cotton on, cotton to.
    Derived terms
    * cotton on * cotton to

    References

    English terms with multiple etymologies

    swab

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (medicine) a small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access.
  • A sample taken with a swab (1).
  • A piece of material used for cleaning or sampling other items like musical instruments or guns.
  • A mop, especially on a ship.
  • (slang) A sailor; a swabby.

    • Synonyms

    * (sailor) swabby

    Verb

    (swabb)
  • To use a swab on something, or clean something with a swab.
  • * , chapter=6
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=He had one hand on the bounce bottle—and he'd never let go of that since he got back to the table—but he had a handkerchief in the other and was swabbing his deadlights with it.}}