Peter Mayle
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Since at least the late 1600s, English speakers have been using the noun cocoon for the silky covering that surrounds a caterpillar or other insect larva in the pupa stage of metamorphosis. The word derives, via French cocon, from Occitan coucoun, which, in turn, emerged from coco, an Occitan term for "shell." Linguists believe the Occitan term was probably born of the Latin word coccum, a noun that has been translated as kermes, which refers to the dried bodies of some insects that are sometimes found on certain trees. The verb cocoon has been with us since the latter half of the 19th century.
Examples of cocoon in a Sentence
Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Americans are isolating themselves into digital cocoons.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The half-moon shape is especially conducive to cocooning you for hours on end.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cocoon
Cite this Entry
“Cocoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocoon. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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