Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various elongate insects of the order Dermaptera, having a pair of usually pincerlike appendages protruding from the rear of the abdomen.
  • transitive verb To attempt to influence by persistent confidential argument or talk.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The popular English name of all the cursorial orthopterous insects of the family Forficulidæ, representing the suborder Euplexoptera, which has several genera and numerous species.
  • noun In the United States, the common name of any of the small centipeds, such as are found in houses in most of the States.
  • noun One who gains the ear of another by stealth and whispers insinuations; a prying informer; a whisperer.
  • To gain the ear of and influence by covert statements or insinuations; whisper insinuations in the ear of against another; fill the mind of with prejudice by covert statements.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To influence, or attempt to influence, by whispered insinuations or private talk.
  • noun (Zoöl.) Any insect of the genus Forficula and related genera, belonging to the order Dermaptera (formerly Euplexoptera). They have elongated bodies and a prominent pair of curved pincers at the rear of their abdomen.
  • noun (Zoöl.) In America, any small chilopodous myriapod, esp. of the genus Geophilus. See Geophilus
  • noun A whisperer of insinuations; a secret counselor.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera that have elongated bodies, large membranous wings folded underneath short leathery forewings and a pair of large pincers protruding from the rear of the abdomen.
  • verb transitive To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations.
  • verb transitive To attempt to influence by persistent confidential argument or talk.
  • verb intransitive, UK, slang To eavesdrop.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any of numerous insects of the order Dermaptera having elongate bodies and slender many-jointed antennae and a pair of large pincers at the rear of the abdomen

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English erwig, from Old English ēarwicga : ēare, ear; see ear + wicga, insect; see wegh- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English erwigge, from Old English êarwicga.

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Examples

  • The name "earwig" itself is sufficiently puzzling, but "coach-bell" seems, if possible, still more utterly unintelligible.

    Notes and Queries, Number 24, April 13, 1850 Various

  • Biological method, involves the use of natural predators such as earwig, green muscardine fungus, and white muscardine fungus to paralyze and eventually kill the pest.

    The Hindu - Front Page 2010

  • When it comes to the debates, he will need an 'earwig' so he can be fed answers like on that game show movie.

    Latest Articles 2008

  • If all of God's creatures have a useful purpose — a rightful place, as it were — on this planet, then someone please explain to me just what the hell kind of purpose God had in mind for the earwig.

    Archive 2009-07-01 2009

  • But what in the blue hell does an earwig do besides gross me out?

    Why Do Earwigs Exist? 2009

  • Foodies will appreciate the two-person booths opposite the open kitchen where you can earwig on the chefs as they work their way through the service.

    West London's top 10 budget eats 2011

  • If all of God's creatures have a useful purpose — a rightful place, as it were — on this planet, then someone please explain to me just what the hell kind of purpose God had in mind for the earwig.

    Why Do Earwigs Exist? 2009

  • But what in the blue hell does an earwig do besides gross me out?

    Archive 2009-07-01 2009

  • I actually can't picture what an earwig looks like, but I can see why you hate them.

    Why Do Earwigs Exist? 2009

  • I shall have to wiki an earwig, as I'm not sure what they are!!!

    Why Do Earwigs Exist? 2009

  • His lines would often get fed to him through an “earwig”, industry speak for an earpiece.

    ‘He just looked lost’: worries over Bruce Willis’s cognitive state surface Benjamin Lee 2022

Comments

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  • earmuff?

    July 12, 2007

  • Ewwwww! I hate this little devil!

    July 12, 2007

  • How to measure earwig poo?

    How to know how much they do?

    Are there scales to measure it

    Those tiny piles of earwig shit?

    Barry Kent (Sue Townsend)

    January 15, 2008

  • Wow.

    Kewpid, I really want to find out what they call earwig poo so I can add it to my Specific Excrement list.

    January 15, 2008

  • British slang - "earwig - Verb. To eavesdrop. E.g.'If you heard things said about you that you didn't like, then you shouldn't be earwigging into conversations.'"

    - peevish.co.uk

    September 23, 2008

  • Today I observed a pair of ants struggling and tugging an earwig through the grass by its face and a front leg, along a trail to their anthill. Nature's economy.

    March 8, 2011

  • Once called a battle-twig in Derbyshire; arrawiggle in East Anglia; and clip-shears, cochbell, ermit, gavelock, gewlick and gallacher in Scotland.

    May 10, 2011