cotton • / KAH-tun / • verb

The verb cotton is used with on or on to to mean “to begin to understand something; to catch on.” Cotton used with to alone means “to begin to like someone or something.”

• It took a while, but they are finally starting to cotton on.
• She quickly cottoned on to why her friend was nudging her, and stopped talking just before their teacher entered the room.
• We cottoned to our new neighbors right away.