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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
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
What’s more, this multi-purpose killer can be used on an array of other insects too, including ants, earwigs, household spiders, stink bugs, and even scorpions.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near earwig
Cite this Entry
“Earwig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earwig. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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