upland cotton

noun

1. a plant, Gossypium hirsutum, of warm regions of the New World, that is the chief commercial cotton crop in the United States.

upland cotton

noun

1. a tropical American cotton plant, Gossypium hirsutum, widely cultivated for its fibre
2. the fibre of this plant, or the fabric woven from it

Word History and Origins

Origin of upland cotton¹

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

Halfway across the world in Pakistan, the world’s sixth-largest producer of upland cotton, severe flooding worsened by climate change destroyed half of its cotton crop.

From New York Times

West Texas is the main source of upland cotton in the United States, which in turn is the world’s third-biggest producer and largest exporter of the fiber.

From New York Times

The program covers 29 commodity crops, including soybeans, corn, wheat, sorghum and upland cotton.

From The Guardian

The program covers farmers who produce 29 commodity crops, including soybean, corn, wheat, sorghum and upland cotton.

From Reuters

Pima cotton brought in $500 million last year, almost all of it grown in California, and generally commands at least twice the price of the more common variety, upland cotton.

From New York Times