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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Cocoon \Co*coon"\, noun [F. cocon, dim. of coque shell of egge and insects, fr. L. concha mussel shell. See {Conch}.]
1. An oblong case in which the silkworm lies in its chrysalis state. It is formed of threads of silk spun by the worm just before leaving the larval state. From these the silk of commerce is prepared.
2. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The case constructed by any insect to contain its larva or pupa. (b) The case of silk made by spiders to protect their eggs. (c) The egg cases of mucus, etc., made by leeches and other worms.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
cocoon
noun: silky envelope spun by the larvae of many insects to protect pupas and by spiders to protect eggs
verb
1: retreat as if into a cocoon, as from an unfriendly environment; "Families cocoon around the T.V. set most evenings"; "She loves to stay at home and cocoon"
2: wrap in or as if in a cocoon, as for protection
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |