Wiktionary
n. Cotton which has had its fatty matter removed to become capable of absorbing liquids; cotton wool.(R:MW3 1976: page=6)
WordNet
n. cotton made absorbent by removal of the natural wax
Usage examples of "absorbent cotton".
She ordered a large package of absorbent cotton, an eightounce bottle of chloroform, a scalpel, elbow-length rubber gloves, a full-length rubber apron, a rubber sheet, and a large enamel basin.
I felt as though absorbent cotton encased me, as though I were moving through treacle, thick dust .
McWatt helped, and the three drove in silence to the squadron medical tent, where McWatt and Doc Daneeka guided Yossarian inside to a chair and washed Snowden off him with cold wet balls of absorbent cotton.
Concealed in the cabinet was a quantity of absorbent cotton for ectoplasm.
One massive storage unit contained absorbent cotton, acetone, spirit gum, powders, body makeup.
Once her neck and throat were wound with several thicknesses of absorbent cotton cloth, a gorget of Pitzburk was buckled on.
Several others nearby smiled but shook their heads, unable to bear the words for two reasons-the all-enveloping water sound and plugs of 87 absorbent cotton in their ears.