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cerumen

American  
[si-roo-muhn] / sɪˈru mən /

noun

  1. earwax.


cerumen British  
/ sɪˈruːmɛn /

noun

  1. Nontechnical name: earwax.  the soft brownish-yellow wax secreted by glands in the auditory canal of the external ear

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of cerumen

1735–45; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin cēr ( a ) wax + ( alb ) umen albumen

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

What stark chapters of oceanic history will these projects write in cetacean cerumen?

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2022

Like humans, cetaceans — whales, dolphins, porpoises — produce ear wax, and in certain species, this wax, or cerumen, builds up over their lifetime.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2022

In wet-type cerumen at least, these lipids include cholesterol, squalene, and many long-chain fatty acids and alcohols.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

While studies conducted up until the 1960s found little evidence supporting an antibacterial role for cerumen, more recent studies have found that cerumen provides some bactericidal protection against some strains of bacteria.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Syringing with a large and strong syringe disengaged a large mass of cerumen, and hearing was immediately restored.

From The Young Mother Management of Children in Regard to Health by Alcott, William A. (William Andrus)

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