木綿(もめん)

木綿(もめん) refers to cotton as a textile material. The kanji literally means 'tree cotton' (木(き) + 綿(わた)).

COMMON USES:

• 木綿(もめん)の服(ふく): cotton clothing
• 木綿(もめん)糸(いと): cotton thread
• 木綿(もめん)豆腐(どうふ): firm tofu (pressed through cotton cloth; contrasts with 絹(きぬ)ごし豆腐(どうふ), silken tofu)

RELATED FABRIC TERMS:

• 綿(わた)/コットン: cotton (raw fiber or loanword)
• 絹(きぬ): silk
• 麻(あさ): hemp, linen
• 化繊(かせん): synthetic fiber

USAGE:
In modern Japanese, コットン is increasingly used in fashion and product labels, while 木綿(もめん) remains standard in traditional contexts and for 木綿(もめん)豆腐(どうふ). The reading もくめん exists in some technical compounds but is rare.