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earworm
1[ eer-wurm ]
noun
- a tune or part of a song that repeats in one’s mind.
verb (used with object)
- to work (itself or its way) into a person’s mind:
The Pepsi jingles have earwormed their way into my head.
earworm
2[ eer-wurm ]
noun
earworm
/ ˈɪəˌwɜːm /
noun
- informal.an irritatingly catchy tune
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Word History and Origins
Origin of earworm1
First recorded in 1980–85; loan translation of German Ohrwurm “catchy tune, earwig”
Origin of earworm2
First recorded in 1880–85; ear 2( def ) + worm ( def ) (in the sense “small creeping animal”)
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Word History and Origins
Origin of earworm1
C20: from German Ohrwurm earwig
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Example Sentences
From Lorde to Daft Punk, DJ Earworm seamlessly edited a mashup of the 25 biggest hits of 2013.
From The Daily Beast
“Cups” has had the unlikeliest of journeys to summer earworm.
From The Daily Beast
But in the 1990s, the English word "earworm" gained the meaning "a song or melody that keeps repeating in one's mind."
From The Daily Beast
The newer sense of "earworm" is actually influenced by the German word for this phenomenon—a word that translates to "earworm."
From The Daily Beast
"Earworm" has been around for quite some time to refer to a pest that burrows into the ears of corn.
From The Daily Beast
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