cocoon

C3O1C3O1O1N1
/kəˈkuːn/[kʰɘ̞ˈkʰu̟ːn]

noun

The silky case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, protecting the pupa within.

OriginFrench cocon →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nouncocoon (plural cocoons)

plural cocoons

  1. The silky case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, protecting the pupa within.
  2. alsofigurativelyAny similar protective case.

    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
verbcocoon (third-person singular simple present cocoons, present participle cocooning, simple past and past participle cocooned)

present singular third person cocoons · participle present cocooning · participle past cocooned · past cocooned

  1. alsofigurativelytransitiveTo envelop in a protective case.

    Vern grabbed the throw draped over the back of the sofa and cocooned herself within it.

    2021, Rivers Solomon, Sorrowland, #Merky Books, page 163
  2. alsofigurativelyintransitiveTo withdraw into such a case.

Origin

  1. Frenchcocon
  2. Englishcocoon

From French cocon, a diminutive of coque (“shell”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans kokon
  • kokonprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Arabic شَرْنَقَة
  • شَرْنَقَة (šarnaqa)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Bulgarian пашкул, какавида
  • пашкул (paškul)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • какавида (kakavida)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Catalan capoll
  • capollprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Chinese Mandarin 繭 /茧, 保護殼 /保护壳
  • 繭 /茧 (jiǎn)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • 保護殼 /保护壳any similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
  • 防護罩 /防护罩any similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
  • 外殼 /外壳 (wàiké)any similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
  • 包裹 (bāoguǒ)envelop in a protective case
  • 縮入繭中 /缩入茧中 (suō rù jiǎn zhōng)withdraw into such a case
Czech kukla, kokon
  • kuklaprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • kokonprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • zámotekprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Danish kokon
  • kokonprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Dutch cocon, cocon
  • coconprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • coconany similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
Esperanto kokono
  • kokonoprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Estonian nukk, kookon
  • nukkprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • kookonprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Finnish kotelo, kokongi
  • koteloprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • kokongiprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • koteloany similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
  • suojusany similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
  • koteloidaenvelop in a protective case
  • koteloituawithdraw into such a case
French cocon, cocon
  • coconprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • coconany similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
German Kokon
  • Kokonprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Greek κουκούλι
  • κουκούλι (koukoúli)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Hebrew פְּקַעַת
  • פְּקַעַת (pqá'at)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Hindi खोल, खोल
  • खोल (khol)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • खोल (khol)any similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
Hungarian gubó, selyemgubó
  • gubóprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • selyemgubóprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • bábprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • bebugyolálenvelop in a protective case
  • burkolenvelop in a protective case
  • beburkolenvelop in a protective case
  • begubózikwithdraw into such a case
  • beburkolózikwithdraw into such a case
  • burkolózikwithdraw into such a case
Icelandic lirfuhýði, egghylki
  • lirfuhýðiprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • egghylkiprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Irish cocún
  • cocúnprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Italian bozzolo, bozzolo
  • bozzoloprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • bozzoloany similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
Japanese 繭
  • 繭 (mayu)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Korean 고치
  • 고치 (gochi)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Latvian kokons
  • kokonsprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Malay kokun
  • kokunprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Māori kopa
  • kopaprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Norwegian Bokmål kokong
  • kokongprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Persian پیله
  • پیله (pile)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Polish kokon, kokon
  • kokonprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • kokonany similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
Portuguese casulo, casulo
  • casuloprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • casuloenvelop in a protective case
  • casulowithdraw into such a case
Romanian cocon, gogoașă
  • coconprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • gogoașăprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • gogoașă de mătaseprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Russian ко́кон, ко́кон
  • ко́кон (kókon)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • ко́кон (kókon)any similar protective case, whether real or metaphorical
Scottish Gaelic cochall
  • cochallprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Slovak kokón, kukla
  • kokónprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • kuklaprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Spanish capullo, capillo
  • capulloprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • capilloprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Swedish puppa
  • puppaprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Tagalog tilas, supot-uod
  • tilasprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • supot-uodprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Thai ดักแด้
  • ดักแด้ (dàk-dɛ̂ɛ)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Turkish koza, kabuğuna çekilmek
  • kozaprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
  • kabuğuna çekilmekwithdraw into such a case
Ukrainian ко́кон
  • ко́кон (kókon)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Urdu کوکُون
  • کوکُون (kokūn)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Vietnamese kén
  • kénprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Welsh cocŵn
  • cocŵnprotective case spun by the larvae of some insects
Yiddish קאַקון
  • קאַקון (kakun)protective case spun by the larvae of some insects

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with cocoon

junesoonmooncartoonafternoontunenoontribuneimmuneballoonCameroonspoonsaloonlagoontoontycoondunenuntyphoonboonmonsoonplatoonrunecommune
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

kokoonkokoon
Cite this entry
APA

cocoon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cocoon

MLA

“cocoon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cocoon. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cocoon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cocoon.

Source: cocoon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.