COTTON ON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cotton on mean? 

• COTTON ON (verb)
  The verb COTTON ON has 1 sense:

1. understand, usually after some initial difficulty

  Familiarity information: COTTON ON used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COTTON ON (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Understand, usually after some initial difficulty

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

catch on; cotton on; get it; get onto; get wise; latch on; tumble; twig

Context example:

She didn't know what her classmates were plotting but finally caught on

Hypernyms (to "cotton on" is one way to...):

apprehend; compass; comprehend; dig; get the picture; grasp; grok; savvy (get the meaning of something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

 Context examples 

“Well?” said my aunt, taking out the cotton on that side again.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)