noun
raw cotton; cotton wool
Refers to cotton in its raw, unprocessed form, or as a fluffy material used for padding, stuffing, or medical purposes.
この地域では綿花の栽培が盛んです。
Cotton cultivation is thriving in this region.
傷口に綿花を当てて止血した。
I applied cotton wool to the wound to stop the bleeding.
綿 (わた) is the native Japanese word for cotton, often used for the material in everyday contexts. 綿花 (めんか) is a Sino-Japanese compound that emphasizes the raw agricultural product or the cotton plant itself.
コットン is a loanword from English, commonly used for cotton fabric or in fashion contexts. 綿花 is more technical and refers to the raw material.
Sino-Japanese compound from 綿 (めん, 'cotton') and 花 (か, 'flower'), referring to the cotton flower or the raw cotton boll.