cotton
綿 centers on cotton as a soft, fibrous material, typically associated with thread, fabric, or padding.
綿 combines 糸 (thread) with 帛 (silk cloth), reflecting cotton as a fibrous material used in textiles. The component 帛 likely contributes both meaning and sound.
Thread 糸 and white silk cloth 帛 come together to make soft, fluffy cotton.
For メン, imagine a cotton garment being mended with thread: mend -> メン, and the soft cotton is repaired.
cotton
cotton plant (Gossypium spp.)
minute; detailed; careful; scrupulous; thorough
cotton (material)
cotton swab
sponge
asbestos
down; fuzz; fluff
unbroken; uninterrupted; continuous
raw cotton; cotton wool
silk floss; silk wadding
unpadded kimono
cotton yarn; cotton thread
absorbent cotton; cotton wool
padding (clothing or bedding); insulation; cotton wadding; stuffing (furniture)
cotton cloth; cotton material
Indian silk-cotton tree (Bombax ceiba)
glass wool
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy; TSE
cotton padding