cocoon

noun/kəˈkuːn/

Frequency rank: #11,983 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

a silky case spun by an insect larva to protect itself during metamorphosis; also, any protective covering or sheltered environment.

Illustration for the English word “cocoon”

Example sentence

The caterpillar spun a silky cocoon around itself to begin its transformation into a butterfly.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 11,901–12,000