綿花(めんか)

めんか
noun
raw cotton; cotton fiber
materialagriculture
1. raw cotton; cotton fiber; cotton boll
The fluffy white fiber harvested from cotton plants, used as a raw material for textiles. Refers to cotton in its unprocessed or minimally processed state.
綿花(めんか)を収穫(しゅうかく)する。
To harvest cotton.
この地域(ちいき)は綿花(めんか)の栽培(さいばい)が盛(さか)んだ。
Cotton cultivation was thriving in this region.
江戸時代(えどじだい)には日本(にほん)でも綿花(めんか)が広(ひろ)く栽培(さいばい)され、木綿(もめん)の着物(きもの)が普及(ふきゅう)した。
In the Edo period, cotton was widely cultivated in Japan too, and cotton kimono became widespread.

The raw cotton fiber from cotton plants. Composed of 綿(めん) (cotton) + 花(か) (flower/blossom), referring to the fluffy boll that resembles a flower. Specifically refers to unprocessed cotton as a crop or commodity.

Common collocations

Related words

  • 綿(わた): cotton, padding — the everyday word for cotton; also used for cotton batting and padding
  • 木綿(もめん): cotton (fabric) — processed cotton cloth; the material used for clothing
  • 真綿(まわた): silk wadding — despite containing 綿(わた), this refers to silk, not cotton

Cultural note

Japan imported significant quantities of raw cotton during industrialization. Today, Japan imports nearly all its cotton. Historically, cotton cultivation was important in regions like 大阪(おおさか) and the 瀬戸内(せとうち) area.

Related Words

Related: 木綿(もめん) (cotton)
Related: 真綿(まわた) (silk wadding)
general
Added 2026.3.28 22:00 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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