earwig

1 of 2

noun

ear·​wig ˈir-ˌwig 

: any of numerous insects (order Dermaptera) having slender many-jointed antennae and a pair of cerci resembling forceps at the end of the body

earwig

2 of 2

verb

earwigged; earwigging

transitive verb

: to annoy or attempt to influence by private talk

Did you know?

Earwigs are small insects that were once thought to crawl into the ears of sleeping people. This isn't true - earwigs prefer moist, dark places under leaves and rocks to human ears - but the superstition led people to name the insect ēarwicga, Old English for "ear insect." Over time, people connected the idea of having an insect in one's ear to situations that involve whispering or speaking privately into someone's ear. The noun earwig came to also mean "a whispering busybody" (though this sense is now considered archaic), and the verb earwig evolved to refer to the acts of such meddlers. In British English, the word is more commonly used to mean "eavesdrop," as in "earwigged on their conversation at the party."

Examples of earwig in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Work in the 1990s and early 2000s focused on earwig courtship. —Tim Vernimmen, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024

When another Brit suggests a regional murder technique in which an earwig is put in the victim’s ear and eats its way to its brain, Hervey agrees, only to wake up and find out that he’s become the host of the bug of death by accident. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024

Then, to see whether the seeds remained intact after being digested, the researchers fed silver dragon fruits to three kinds of invertebrates—camel crickets, rough woodlice, and earwigs—and examined their feces under a microscope. —Bygennaro Tomma, science.org, 8 May 2024

Insect culprits can range from beetles (adults and juveniles) to caterpillars, earwigs, crickets, grasshoppers and katydids. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 8 Aug. 2024

Hood started researching to see if there was an increase in earwigs across the Detroit area after talking to colleagues and graduate students who also reported seeing more earwigs than usual. —Eric Guzmán, Detroit Free Press, 20 July 2024

While there are a few different species of earwigs, the most common is the European earwig. —Eric Guzmán, Detroit Free Press, 20 July 2024

Heavy snowfall, unseasonably warm temperatures, heavy flooding, and more are examples of severe weather in the U.S. In the Midwest, experts predict a delay in the peak season for earwigs, millipedes, centipedes, and similar insects that tend to thrive during wet summer months. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024

If the wood wasn’t debarked, trees with loose bark layers or split wood that has dried enough to loosen its bark may harbor an array of creatures, such as wood roaches, earwigs, and possibly even overwintering yellowjacket wasp queens. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare ear + wicga insect

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1804, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

earwig

noun

ear·​wig

-ˌwig

: any of numerous insects with slender many-jointed antennae and a large forcepslike organ at the end of the body

Etymology

Noun

Old English ēarwicga, from ēare "ear" and wicga "insect"

Word Origin

Centuries ago it was thought that a certain insect, whose body ended in what looked like a pair of pincers, crawled into people's ears. The Old English name for this insect was ēarwicga, a compound of ēare, meaning "ear," and wicga, meaning "insect." Earwig, our modern English name for the insect, comes from the Old English word, even though we know that the old belief is not true.