木綿
もめん · momen · JLPT N4 · noun
cotton
🧵 木綿 = tree (木) + cotton fibre (綿): cotton, the fibre that grows on a plant
綿 alone once meant silk floss; adding 木 (tree) marked the plant-grown kind, i.e. cotton. Sound hook: momen sounds like moment, as in wait a moment while I iron my cotton shirt. Also seen in 木綿豆腐, firm tofu pressed in cotton cloth.