What does cotted mean?
'Cotted' describes wool or other fibres that have become matted and tangled together into firm clumps, typically through moisture, dirt, or neglect. The word functions as the past participle of the verb 'cot', an old and now largely dialectal English term meaning to mat or entangle, and it survives almost exclusively in British sheep-farming and wool-trade vocabulary. A farmer might complain that a flock has gone 'badly cotted' after a wet season, because a cotted fleece is difficult to shear cleanly and fetches a lower price than sound, open wool. The term is unfamiliar to most modern speakers outside rural or trade contexts, but it remains precise and useful where general words like 'tangled' would not convey the dense, felt-like quality of the fibre. Its rarity gives it a distinctly traditional, regional flavour, marking it as vocabulary inherited from generations of shepherds and wool graders rather than from standard literary usage.
verb (past participle)Matted or tangled together into clumps, said especially of wool or other fibres on a sheep's fleece. It is the past participle of the now largely dialectal English verb 'cot', meaning to mat or entangle.
- (Of wool or fibres) matted or tangled together into clumps.
"The shearers complained that half the flock had gone cotted after weeks of wet weather."
"Weeks of rain left the ewes' fleeces badly cotted and worth far less at market."
"The old shepherd ran his fingers through the ram's coat and shook his head — cotted right down to the skin."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cotted
'Cotted' is the past participle of 'cot', a verb of Germanic origin recorded in English dialect use meaning to mat or entangle fibres. Beyond its Germanic roots, the detailed early history of the verb is obscure, so it is best described simply as an old dialectal formation rather than traced to a specific first-attested date. It is unrelated to the noun 'cot' meaning a small shelter or bed, which comes from a different source.
Related word forms
How cotted is actually used
'Cotted' is a rare, chiefly British agricultural and dialectal term, encountered mainly in sheep-farming and wool-trade contexts rather than everyday speech. It carries no strong connotation, though it is generally unwelcome news to farmers since a cotted fleece is harder to shear and less valuable. The base verb 'cot' is itself now uncommon outside these circles.
Easily confused with cotted
'Coated' means covered with a layer or surface film, whereas 'cotted' means matted or tangled into clumps, chiefly of wool.