Cotton is a soft, staple that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant sp.), a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable Textile, which is the most widely used natural-fiber cloth in clothing today. The English language which began to be used circa 1400, derives from the Arabic language (al) qutn , In the 19th and early 20th centuries, cotton was known as "King Cotton" because of the great economic and cultural influence it had over the Southern United States.

Cotton fiber, once it has been processed to remove seeds (ginning) and traces of honeydew (a secretion from aphids), protein, vegetable matter, and other impurities, consists of nearly pure Cellulose, a natural Polymer. Cotton production is very efficient, in the sense that only ten percent or less of the weight is lost in subsequent processing to convert the raw cotton bolls (seed coat) into pure fiber. The cellulose is arranged in a way that gives cotton fibers a high degree of strength, durability, and absorbency. Each fiber is made up of twenty to thirty layers of cellulose coiled in a neat series of natural springs. When the cotton boll is opened, the fibers dry into flat, twisted, ribbon-like shapes and become kinked together and interlocked. This interlocked form is ideal for Spinning (textiles) into a fine Yarn.