cotton gin

/ˌkɑtn ˈdʒɪn/

Other forms: cotton gins

A machine that quickly removes seeds from newly harvested cotton is a cotton gin. Before the invention of the mechanical cotton gin, handheld versions were used to clean the fluffy fibers.

When Eli Whitney invented the automated cotton gin in 1793, it changed the course of American history. The cotton industry was revolutionized, since so much more cotton lint could be cleaned in a day. It also led to an increase in slavery in the southern states, as cotton processing demanded faster harvesting to keep up. Many historians point to the cotton gin as one of the indirect causes of the Civil War. Gin is shorthand for engine.

Definitions of cotton gin

1. noun

   a machine that separates the seeds from raw cotton fibers
   synonyms: gin

   type of:

   machine

   any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks