Cocoon Meaning
/kəˈkuːn/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe silky case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, protecting the pupa within.
nounAny similar protective case.
Sentence Examples
I saw a cocoon on the tree.
Caterpillars transform into butterflies while they're in a cocoon.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The caterpillar spun a silky ____ around itself for protection.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The caterpillar spun a ____ and then turned into a butterfly.
Word Origin & History
From French cocon, a diminutive of coque (“shell”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The bad guys generally don’t like to get on trains, because they’re trapped on a moving cocoon that the CTA controls."
— 1997 June 24, Robert Dart, quotee, “CTA To Leave Train Conductors At The Station”, in Chicago Tribune:
"Vern grabbed the throw draped over the back of the sofa and cocooned herself within it."
— 2021, Rivers Solomon, Sorrowland, #Merky Books, page 163:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The caterpillar spun a silky ____ around itself for protection.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The caterpillar spun a ____ and then turned into a butterfly.