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earwig
[ eer-wig ]
/ ˈɪərˌwɪg /
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noun
any of numerous elongate, nocturnal insects of the order Dermaptera, having a pair of large, movable pincers at the rear of the abdomen.
verb (used with object), ear·wigged, ear·wig·ging.
to fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations.
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Origin of earwig
before 1000; Middle English erwigge,Old English ēarwicga ear insect; from the notion that it enters people's ears. See wiggle
Words nearby earwig
earthy, ear to the ground, have one's, ear trumpet, ear tuft, earwax, earwig, earwigging, earwitness, earworm, ear wrap, EAS
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use earwig in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for earwig
earwig
/ (ˈɪəˌwɪɡ) /
noun
any of various insects of the order Dermaptera, esp Forficula auricularia (common European earwig), which typically have an elongated body with small leathery forewings, semicircular membranous hindwings, and curved forceps at the tip of the abdomen
verb -wigs, -wigging or -wigged
informal to eavesdrop
(tr) archaic to attempt to influence (a person) by private insinuation
Word Origin for earwig
Old English ēarwicga, from ēare ear 1 + wicga beetle, insect; probably from a superstition that the insect crept into human ears
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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