absorbent cotton

cotton made absorbent by removal of the natural wax; fluff of unprocessed cotton

Cotton wool consists of silky fibers taken from cotton plants in their raw state. Impurities, such as seeds, are removed and the cotton is then bleached and sterilized. It is also a refined product (absorbent cotton in U.S. usage) which has medical, cosmetic and many other practical uses. The first medical use of cotton wool was by Dr Joseph Sampson Gamgee at the Queen's Hospital (later the General Hospital) in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
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Cotton /cot·ton/ a plant of the genus Gossypium, or a textile material derived from its seeds. absorbable cotton oxidized cellulose. [more]Absorbent cotton - Community and Resources

Noun
1. cotton made absorbent by removal of the natural wax
(hypernym) cotton, cotton wool

noun
purified fibres from the cotton plant used as a dressing on wounds, etc.; she dabbed the cut with cotton wool soaked in antiseptic; the nurse put a pad of cotton wool over the sore