What is the meaning of Cottonwood?

A tree from one of number of species of tree in the genus Populus (poplars), typically growing along watercourses, with fluffy catkins.

Populus sect. Aigeiros, a taxonomic section of the poplar genus

A cottonwood hibiscus (Talipariti tiliaceum, syn. Hibiscus tiliaceus), a flowering shrub or tree in the mallow family.

A tree of species Ceiba pentandra, native to the American tropics and west Africa; silk-cotton tree.

Source: wiktionary.org