1.
silk floss; silk wadding
Soft, fluffy batting made from silkworm cocoons that have been stretched into sheets. Traditionally used as padding in high-quality bedding, winter clothing, and crafts.
真綿のように柔らかい。
Soft as silk floss.
この布団は真綿が入っていて暖かい。
This futon has silk wadding inside and is warm.
真綿で首を絞めるように、じわじわと追い詰められた。
I was gradually cornered, as if being strangled with silk floss.
Composed of 真 (true, genuine) + 綿 (cotton, wadding). Despite the kanji 綿, 真綿 is made from silk, not cotton. The 真 distinguishes it from ordinary plant-based 綿 (cotton).
IDIOMATIC EXPRESSION:
真綿で首を絞める — literally "to strangle with silk floss." Describes applying slow, gentle but persistent pressure, or gradually tightening the screws on someone. Because silk floss is soft, the strangling is slow and drawn out rather than sudden.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 真綿の布団: silk-filled futon
- 真綿のように柔らかい: soft as silk floss
- 真綿で包むように: gently, as if wrapping in silk floss
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 綿/木綿: cotton — plant-based fiber, much more common and cheaper
- 絹: silk — the woven fabric, as opposed to the raw floss
- 羽毛: down feathers — another premium natural filling for bedding