Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

cotton wool

 noun
     
Related topics: Hair and Beauty
cotton wool [uncountable] British English
1DCB a soft mass of cotton that you use especially for cleaning and protecting wounds:
She put some disinfectant on a piece of cotton wool and dabbed it on her cheek.
2

wrap somebody (up) in cotton wool

to protect someone completely from the dangers, difficulties etc of life:
You can't wrap those kids in cotton wool all their lives.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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