Meanings
nounhigh cotton (uncountable)
- Southern USUSidiomaticslanguncountableThe best of times; a time of well being.
We're in high cotton now.
Origin
The term "high cotton" or "tall cotton" originates from the rural farming community in the antebellum (pre-Civil War) South when "high cotton" meant that the crops were good and the prices were, too. The term has generalized to mean one is doing well or is successful.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
high cotton. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high%20cotton
MLA
“high cotton.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high%20cotton. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “high cotton,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high%20cotton.
Source: high cotton on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.