"earwig" meaning in All languages combined

See earwig on Wiktionary

Noun [English]

IPA: /ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/ Audio: En-au-earwig.ogg Forms: earwigs [plural]
Etymology: From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”), so named from a popular belief that they are able to penetrate a person's head through the ear. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|erwigge}} Middle English erwigge, {{inh|en|ang|ēarwicga}} Old English ēarwicga, {{compound|ang|ēare|wicga|nocat=1|t1=ear|t2=insect}} ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} earwig (plural earwigs)
  1. 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. Categories (lifeform): Earwigs Synonyms (insect of order Dermaptera): forkytail [Geordie, dialectal], pincher bug Translations (the insect): أَبُو مِقَصّ (ʔabū miqaṣṣ) [masculine] (Arabic), ܩܸܪܨܘܿ (qirṣō) [feminine] (Assyrian Neo-Aramaic), щипалка (štipalka) [feminine] (Bulgarian), tisoreta (Catalan), papaorelles [feminine, plural] (Catalan), ᎦᎴᎾᎩ (galenagi) (Cherokee), 蠼螋 (qúsōu) (Chinese Mandarin), škvor [masculine] (Czech), ørentvist [common-gender] (Danish), oorworm [masculine] (Dutch), forfikulo (Esperanto), kõrvahark (Estonian), baga (Farefare), tvísterta [feminine] (Faroese), pihtihäntäinen (Finnish), forficule [feminine] (French), perce-oreille [masculine] (French), cadela de frade [feminine] (Galician), cadela faldrexa [feminine] (Galician), rapacarallas [feminine] (Galician), zormicadela [feminine] (Galician), forcadela [feminine] (Galician), ყურბელა (q̇urbela) (Georgian), Ohrwurm [masculine] (German), Ohrenkriecher [masculine] (German), Ohrkneifer [masculine] (German), fülbemászó (Hungarian), gailseach [feminine] (Irish), forficula [feminine] (Italian), forfecchia [feminine] (Italian), 鋏虫 (Japanese), 蠼螋 (alt: はさみむし, ハサミムシ, hasamimushi) (Japanese), 집게벌레 (jipgebeolle) (Korean), Ouereschlëffer [masculine] (Luxembourgish), gollage (Manx), matā (Maori), hiore kakati (Maori), erwig (Middle English), erwigge (Middle English), ôrenwützel (Middle High German), чихүүр хорхой (čixüür xorxoj) (Mongolian), kara-nanga (Moore), ka-nanga (Moore), jeeʼiighááh (Navajo), pèrche-ouothelle [feminine] (Norman), saksedyr (Norwegian), ēarwiċġa (Old English), قولاغه قاچان (kulağa kaçan) (Ottoman Turkish), skorek [masculine] (Polish), cęgosz [masculine] (Polish), szczypawka [feminine] (Polish), szczypawica [feminine] (Polish), tesourinha [feminine] (Portuguese), lacrainha [feminine] (Portuguese), rapino (Portuguese), bicha-cadela (Portuguese), garara (Rapa Nui), urechelniță [feminine] (Romanian), уховёртка (uxovjórtka) [feminine] (Russian), hornie-gollach (Scots), fiolan-cluaise [masculine] (Scottish Gaelic), uholaža [feminine] (Serbo-Croatian), strižavka [feminine] (Serbo-Croatian), ucholak [masculine] (Slovak), strigalica [feminine] (Slovene), tijereta [feminine] (Spanish), tvestjärt [common-gender] (Swedish), แมงคาเรือง (maeng-kaa-reuang) (Thai), kulağakaçan (Turkish), щи́павка (ščýpavka) [feminine] (Ukrainian), вухове́ртка (vuxovértka) [feminine] (Ukrainian), sâu tai (Vietnamese), pryf clustiog [masculine] (Welsh), chwilen glust [feminine] (Welsh), pryf clust [masculine] (Welsh), pryf clustiau [masculine] (Welsh), pryfyn clust [masculine] (Welsh), chwilod clust [feminine, plural] (Welsh), foarkestekker (West Frisian), umkhothane (Zulu)
    Sense id: en-earwig-en-noun-EUFlZYnK Disambiguation of Earwigs: 45 19 7 10 6 7 7 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Assyrian Neo-Aramaic translations, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Cherokee translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with Estonian translations, Terms with Farefare translations, Terms with Faroese translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Galician translations, Terms with Georgian translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Irish translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Korean translations, Terms with Luxembourgish translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Manx translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Middle English translations, Terms with Middle High German translations, Terms with Mongolian translations, Terms with Moore translations, Terms with Navajo translations, Terms with Norman translations, Terms with Norwegian translations, Terms with Old English translations, Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Rapa Nui translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Scots translations, Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations, Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations, Terms with Slovak translations, Terms with Slovene translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Thai translations, Terms with Turkish translations, Terms with Ukrainian translations, Terms with Vietnamese translations, Terms with Welsh translations, Terms with West Frisian translations, Terms with Yiddish translations, Terms with Zulu translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 32 21 1 15 9 12 11 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 49 15 2 12 7 8 7 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 44 21 1 13 7 7 6 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 46 22 1 16 5 5 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 39 13 2 11 8 15 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Assyrian Neo-Aramaic translations: 50 14 1 9 6 11 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 35 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 36 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Cherokee translations: 37 13 2 11 7 15 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 34 15 1 10 10 16 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 51 13 1 8 6 11 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 39 16 2 15 10 10 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 39 13 1 11 6 15 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Estonian translations: 33 17 2 10 10 15 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Farefare translations: 53 16 1 11 6 7 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Faroese translations: 34 16 2 10 10 15 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 36 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 40 16 1 16 10 9 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Galician translations: 35 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Georgian translations: 31 16 2 11 10 16 15 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 43 16 2 13 8 9 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 30 14 1 10 14 17 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Irish translations: 35 14 2 10 7 17 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 45 17 2 14 8 8 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 48 16 2 13 8 7 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Korean translations: 36 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Luxembourgish translations: 38 13 1 11 7 16 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 30 10 1 8 8 23 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Manx translations: 36 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 36 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Middle English translations: 32 14 1 11 8 18 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Middle High German translations: 37 11 2 8 5 20 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Mongolian translations: 35 16 1 12 10 13 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Moore translations: 46 16 2 13 7 9 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Navajo translations: 37 14 2 11 7 15 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Norman translations: 38 18 2 13 11 10 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian translations: 35 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Old English translations: 29 9 1 11 8 22 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations: 37 12 1 10 8 17 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 35 13 1 11 9 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 33 16 1 10 13 14 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Rapa Nui translations: 37 12 3 8 4 19 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 35 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 45 17 2 14 8 8 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Scots translations: 40 15 1 11 7 14 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations: 35 13 2 10 8 17 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations: 34 16 2 10 10 15 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Slovak translations: 33 17 2 10 10 15 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Slovene translations: 34 16 2 10 10 15 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 48 16 1 13 8 7 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 38 14 1 11 8 15 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Thai translations: 33 17 2 10 10 15 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 37 14 1 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Ukrainian translations: 36 14 2 11 8 16 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Vietnamese translations: 34 16 2 10 10 15 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Welsh translations: 40 16 1 15 10 9 9 Disambiguation of Terms with West Frisian translations: 28 12 1 8 7 23 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Yiddish translations: 38 13 1 11 7 16 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Zulu translations: 40 15 1 12 7 13 12 Disambiguation of 'insect of order Dermaptera': 93 7 0 Disambiguation of 'the insect': 100 0 0
  2. One who whispers insinuations; a secret counsellor.
    Sense id: en-earwig-en-noun-v93LKkOF Categories (other): Terms with West Frisian translations Disambiguation of Terms with West Frisian translations: 28 12 1 8 7 23 21
  3. A flatterer.
    Sense id: en-earwig-en-noun-QbiIh40p
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: black earwig, common brown earwig, common earwig, common European earwig, maritime earwig, ringlegged earwig Related terms: earworm, earpick

Verb [English]

IPA: /ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/ Audio: En-au-earwig.ogg Forms: earwigs [present, singular, third-person], earwigging [participle, present], earwigged [participle, past], earwigged [past]
Etymology: From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”), so named from a popular belief that they are able to penetrate a person's head through the ear. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|erwigge}} Middle English erwigge, {{inh|en|ang|ēarwicga}} Old English ēarwicga, {{compound|ang|ēare|wicga|nocat=1|t1=ear|t2=insect}} ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”) Head templates: {{en-verb|++}} earwig (third-person singular simple present earwigs, present participle earwigging, simple past and past participle earwigged)
  1. (transitive) To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations. Tags: transitive Translations (To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations): нашепвам (našepvam) (Bulgarian)
    Sense id: en-earwig-en-verb-UeIeya3j Disambiguation of 'To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations': 97 1 1 1
  2. (transitive) To attempt to influence by persistent confidential argument or talk. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-earwig-en-verb-InwxHp5k
  3. (intransitive, UK, slang) To eavesdrop. Tags: UK, intransitive, slang
    Sense id: en-earwig-en-verb-eFGZWJQb Categories (other): British English, Terms with West Frisian translations Disambiguation of Terms with West Frisian translations: 28 12 1 8 7 23 21
  4. (transitive, UK, slang) To eavesdrop on. Tags: UK, slang, transitive
    Sense id: en-earwig-en-verb-vaIcMtgn Categories (other): British English, Terms with West Frisian translations Disambiguation of Terms with West Frisian translations: 28 12 1 8 7 23 21

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "black earwig"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "common brown earwig"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "common earwig"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "common European earwig"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "maritime earwig"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "ringlegged earwig"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "erwigge"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English erwigge",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ēarwicga"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ēarwicga",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ēare",
        "3": "wicga",
        "nocat": "1",
        "t1": "ear",
        "t2": "insect"
      },
      "expansion": "ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”)",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”), so named from a popular belief that they are able to penetrate a person's head through the ear.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "earwigs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "earwig (plural earwigs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "earworm"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "earpick"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "32 21 1 15 9 12 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 15 2 12 7 8 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "44 21 1 13 7 7 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 22 1 16 5 5 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 13 2 11 8 15 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Arabic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "50 14 1 9 6 11 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Assyrian Neo-Aramaic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 13 2 11 7 15 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Cherokee translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 15 1 10 10 16 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "51 13 1 8 6 11 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 16 2 15 10 10 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 13 1 11 6 15 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Esperanto translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 17 2 10 10 15 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Estonian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "53 16 1 11 6 7 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Farefare translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 16 2 10 10 15 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Faroese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 16 1 16 10 9 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Galician translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 16 2 11 10 16 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Georgian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 16 2 13 8 9 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 14 1 10 14 17 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 14 2 10 7 17 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Irish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 17 2 14 8 8 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 16 2 13 8 7 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Korean translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 13 1 11 7 16 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 10 1 8 8 23 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Manx translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 14 1 11 8 18 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Middle English translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 11 2 8 5 20 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Middle High German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 16 1 12 10 13 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mongolian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 16 2 13 7 9 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Moore translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 14 2 11 7 15 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Navajo translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 18 2 13 11 10 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norman translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "29 9 1 11 8 22 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Old English translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 12 1 10 8 17 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 13 1 11 9 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 16 1 10 13 14 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 12 3 8 4 19 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Rapa Nui translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 17 2 14 8 8 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 15 1 11 7 14 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Scots translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 13 2 10 8 17 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 16 2 10 10 15 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 17 2 10 10 15 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Slovak translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 16 2 10 10 15 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Slovene translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 16 1 13 8 7 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 14 1 11 8 15 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 17 2 10 10 15 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Thai translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 14 1 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 14 2 11 8 16 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 16 2 10 10 15 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 16 1 15 10 9 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Welsh translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 12 1 8 7 23 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with West Frisian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 13 1 11 7 16 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Yiddish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 15 1 12 7 13 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Zulu translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 19 7 10 6 7 7",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Earwigs",
          "orig": "en:Earwigs",
          "parents": [
            "Insects",
            "Arthropods",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1856, L. S. Lavenu, chapter XVII, in Erlesmere; or, Contrasts of Character, volume 1, London: Smith, Elder & Co., page 171:",
          "text": "\"That's a fine young fellow,\" said the historiographer of earwigs, to an American who stood next him in the crowd.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2001, Jan Harold Brunvand, Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, page 128:",
          "text": "The idea was probably strengthened by the earwig′s appearance, with a sharp, pincer-like appendage extending to the rear. However, earwigs are herbivores, and they are no more likely to enter an ear than are ants, bees, flies, or any other small insect. Even when earwigs do occasionally find their way into human ears, they cannot burrow their way through the skin and into the brain.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "text": "2002, Maurice Burton, Robert Burton, Nuthatch, entry in International Wildlife Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition, page 1762,\nNuthatches search the crevices of bark at other times during the year for insects, including beetles, earwigs, flies and bugs, and they open galls (swellings in plants) to extract grubs."
        },
        {
          "text": "2008, John L. Capinera (editor), European Earwig, Forficula auricularia, Linnaeus (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), entry in Encyclopedia of Entomology, page 1370,\nAdults can use the cerci in defense, twisting the abdomen forward over the head or sideways to engage an enemy, often another earwig. Earwigs are nocturnal, spending the day hidden under leaf debris, in cracks and crevices, and in other dark locations."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "id": "en-earwig-en-noun-EUFlZYnK",
      "links": [
        [
          "insect",
          "insect"
        ],
        [
          "Dermaptera",
          "Dermaptera#Translingual"
        ],
        [
          "abdomen",
          "abdomen"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7 0",
          "sense": "insect of order Dermaptera",
          "tags": [
            "Geordie",
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "forkytail"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7 0",
          "sense": "insect of order Dermaptera",
          "word": "pincher bug"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "ʔabū miqaṣṣ",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "أَبُو مِقَصّ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "aii",
          "lang": "Assyrian Neo-Aramaic",
          "roman": "qirṣō",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ܩܸܪܨܘܿ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "štipalka",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "щипалка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "tisoreta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "papaorelles"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "chr",
          "lang": "Cherokee",
          "roman": "galenagi",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "ᎦᎴᎾᎩ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "qúsōu",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "蠼螋"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "škvor"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "ørentvist"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "oorworm"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "forfikulo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "kõrvahark"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gur",
          "lang": "Farefare",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "baga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fo",
          "lang": "Faroese",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "tvísterta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "pihtihäntäinen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "forficule"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "perce-oreille"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "cadela de frade"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "cadela faldrexa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "rapacarallas"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "zormicadela"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "forcadela"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "q̇urbela",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "ყურბელა"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Ohrwurm"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Ohrenkriecher"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Ohrkneifer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "fülbemászó"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "gailseach"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "forficula"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "forfecchia"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "鋏虫"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "alt": "はさみむし, ハサミムシ, hasamimushi",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "蠼螋"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "jipgebeolle",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "집게벌레"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "lb",
          "lang": "Luxembourgish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Ouereschlëffer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gv",
          "lang": "Manx",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "gollage"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "matā"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "hiore kakati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "enm",
          "lang": "Middle English",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "erwig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "enm",
          "lang": "Middle English",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "erwigge"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gmh",
          "lang": "Middle High German",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "ôrenwützel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "mn",
          "lang": "Mongolian",
          "roman": "čixüür xorxoj",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "чихүүр хорхой"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "mos",
          "lang": "Moore",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "kara-nanga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "mos",
          "lang": "Moore",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "ka-nanga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "nv",
          "lang": "Navajo",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "jeeʼiighááh"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "nrf",
          "lang": "Norman",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "pèrche-ouothelle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "saksedyr"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ang",
          "lang": "Old English",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "ēarwiċġa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ota",
          "lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
          "roman": "kulağa kaçan",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "قولاغه قاچان"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "skorek"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "cęgosz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "szczypawka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "szczypawica"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "tesourinha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "lacrainha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "rapino"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "bicha-cadela"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "rap",
          "lang": "Rapa Nui",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "garara"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "urechelniță"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "uxovjórtka",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "уховёртка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sco",
          "lang": "Scots",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "hornie-gollach"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gd",
          "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "fiolan-cluaise"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "uholaža"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "strižavka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ucholak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sl",
          "lang": "Slovene",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "strigalica"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "tijereta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "tvestjärt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "roman": "maeng-kaa-reuang",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "แมงคาเรือง"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "kulağakaçan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "ščýpavka",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "щи́павка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "vuxovértka",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "вухове́ртка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "sâu tai"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pryf clustiog"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "chwilen glust"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pryf clust"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pryf clustiau"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pryfyn clust"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "chwilod clust"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fy",
          "lang": "West Frisian",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "foarkestekker"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "yi",
          "lang": "Yiddish",
          "note": "אויערוואָרעם (Oyerverm, literally “Ear worm”)",
          "sense": "the insect"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "zu",
          "lang": "Zulu",
          "sense": "the insect",
          "word": "umkhothane"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "28 12 1 8 7 23 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with West Frisian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1633, John Ford, The Broken Heart:",
          "text": "That gawdy earwig, or my lord your patron, Whose pensioner you are.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One who whispers insinuations; a secret counsellor."
      ],
      "id": "en-earwig-en-noun-v93LKkOF",
      "links": [
        [
          "insinuation",
          "insinuation"
        ],
        [
          "secret",
          "secret"
        ],
        [
          "counsellor",
          "counsellor"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A flatterer."
      ],
      "id": "en-earwig-en-noun-QbiIh40p",
      "links": [
        [
          "flatterer",
          "flatterer"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-earwig.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/af/En-au-earwig.ogg/En-au-earwig.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/En-au-earwig.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "earwig"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "erwigge"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English erwigge",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ēarwicga"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ēarwicga",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ēare",
        "3": "wicga",
        "nocat": "1",
        "t1": "ear",
        "t2": "insect"
      },
      "expansion": "ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”)",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”), so named from a popular belief that they are able to penetrate a person's head through the ear.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "earwigs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "earwigging",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "earwigged",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "earwigged",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "earwig (third-person singular simple present earwigs, present participle earwigging, simple past and past participle earwigged)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations."
      ],
      "id": "en-earwig-en-verb-UeIeya3j",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 1 1 1",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "našepvam",
          "sense": "To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations",
          "word": "нашепвам"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1831 November, Edward Lancaster, “Appearances”, in The Ladies′ Museum, page 202:",
          "text": "In the interim, rest assured that Mr. Atherstone is by no means your friend, for he was perpetually earwigging poor Sir Rowland.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1866 February 23, South Australian Parliament, Debates in the Houses of Legislature: September 29 1865-March 16 1866, page 1127:",
          "text": "The hon. gentleman Mr. Reynolds had expressed his fears that the Government would allow themselves to be earwigged out of the money.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To attempt to influence by persistent confidential argument or talk."
      ],
      "id": "en-earwig-en-verb-InwxHp5k",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To attempt to influence by persistent confidential argument or talk."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 12 1 8 7 23 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with West Frisian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Russell K. Lewis, In a Moment...: Book One of the Ley of the Land, page 381:",
          "text": "He had heard nothing from Fin, or anyone else, since the angry exchange the other night and was worried about how things were going, but he couldn′t ask about the LeMotts, not with Mum earwigging.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Cat Rambo, Jeff VanderMeer, The Strange Case of the Lovecraft Café: The Surgeon′s Tale and Other Stories, page 89:",
          "text": "The nameless earwigging writer scrawled in his notebook that “MS and CT also considered that such low life would have a greater pride and satisfaction in life if they could themselves be cooked and served still bleating to rich diners.″",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Charlie Cochrane, Lessons in Seduction, page 100:",
          "text": "This man turned up on the last train, wanting a room, and his name had been odd enough to stay in the children′s minds as they earwigged—not something you ever do, Jonty.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To eavesdrop."
      ],
      "id": "en-earwig-en-verb-eFGZWJQb",
      "links": [
        [
          "eavesdrop",
          "eavesdrop"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, UK, slang) To eavesdrop."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "intransitive",
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 12 1 8 7 23 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with West Frisian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2017 December 1, Leo Lewis, “Eric Cantona on seagulls, fixing Man Utd and why you can't buy passion”, in Financial Times:",
          "text": "We are meeting at a friendly, higher-end Shanghai brunching spot beloved of expats—cramped and informal enough that one of the three bankers at the next table is cheerfully earwigging our conversation.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To eavesdrop on."
      ],
      "id": "en-earwig-en-verb-vaIcMtgn",
      "links": [
        [
          "eavesdrop",
          "eavesdrop"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, UK, slang) To eavesdrop on."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-earwig.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/af/En-au-earwig.ogg/En-au-earwig.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/En-au-earwig.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "earwig"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Assyrian Neo-Aramaic translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Cherokee translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Esperanto translations",
    "Terms with Estonian translations",
    "Terms with Farefare translations",
    "Terms with Faroese translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Galician translations",
    "Terms with Georgian translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Manx translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Middle English translations",
    "Terms with Middle High German translations",
    "Terms with Mongolian translations",
    "Terms with Moore translations",
    "Terms with Navajo translations",
    "Terms with Norman translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian translations",
    "Terms with Old English translations",
    "Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Rapa Nui translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Scots translations",
    "Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
    "Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
    "Terms with Slovak translations",
    "Terms with Slovene translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Thai translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
    "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
    "Terms with Welsh translations",
    "Terms with West Frisian translations",
    "Terms with Yiddish translations",
    "Terms with Zulu translations",
    "en:Earwigs"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "black earwig"
    },
    {
      "word": "common brown earwig"
    },
    {
      "word": "common earwig"
    },
    {
      "word": "common European earwig"
    },
    {
      "word": "maritime earwig"
    },
    {
      "word": "ringlegged earwig"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "erwigge"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English erwigge",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ēarwicga"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ēarwicga",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ēare",
        "3": "wicga",
        "nocat": "1",
        "t1": "ear",
        "t2": "insect"
      },
      "expansion": "ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”)",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”), so named from a popular belief that they are able to penetrate a person's head through the ear.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "earwigs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "earwig (plural earwigs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "earworm"
    },
    {
      "word": "earpick"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1856, L. S. Lavenu, chapter XVII, in Erlesmere; or, Contrasts of Character, volume 1, London: Smith, Elder & Co., page 171:",
          "text": "\"That's a fine young fellow,\" said the historiographer of earwigs, to an American who stood next him in the crowd.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2001, Jan Harold Brunvand, Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, page 128:",
          "text": "The idea was probably strengthened by the earwig′s appearance, with a sharp, pincer-like appendage extending to the rear. However, earwigs are herbivores, and they are no more likely to enter an ear than are ants, bees, flies, or any other small insect. Even when earwigs do occasionally find their way into human ears, they cannot burrow their way through the skin and into the brain.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "text": "2002, Maurice Burton, Robert Burton, Nuthatch, entry in International Wildlife Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition, page 1762,\nNuthatches search the crevices of bark at other times during the year for insects, including beetles, earwigs, flies and bugs, and they open galls (swellings in plants) to extract grubs."
        },
        {
          "text": "2008, John L. Capinera (editor), European Earwig, Forficula auricularia, Linnaeus (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), entry in Encyclopedia of Entomology, page 1370,\nAdults can use the cerci in defense, twisting the abdomen forward over the head or sideways to engage an enemy, often another earwig. Earwigs are nocturnal, spending the day hidden under leaf debris, in cracks and crevices, and in other dark locations."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "insect",
          "insect"
        ],
        [
          "Dermaptera",
          "Dermaptera#Translingual"
        ],
        [
          "abdomen",
          "abdomen"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1633, John Ford, The Broken Heart:",
          "text": "That gawdy earwig, or my lord your patron, Whose pensioner you are.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One who whispers insinuations; a secret counsellor."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "insinuation",
          "insinuation"
        ],
        [
          "secret",
          "secret"
        ],
        [
          "counsellor",
          "counsellor"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A flatterer."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "flatterer",
          "flatterer"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-earwig.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/af/En-au-earwig.ogg/En-au-earwig.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/En-au-earwig.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "insect of order Dermaptera",
      "tags": [
        "Geordie",
        "dialectal"
      ],
      "word": "forkytail"
    },
    {
      "sense": "insect of order Dermaptera",
      "word": "pincher bug"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "ʔabū miqaṣṣ",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "أَبُو مِقَصّ"
    },
    {
      "code": "aii",
      "lang": "Assyrian Neo-Aramaic",
      "roman": "qirṣō",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ܩܸܪܨܘܿ"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "štipalka",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "щипалка"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "tisoreta"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "papaorelles"
    },
    {
      "code": "chr",
      "lang": "Cherokee",
      "roman": "galenagi",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "ᎦᎴᎾᎩ"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "qúsōu",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "蠼螋"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "škvor"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "ørentvist"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "oorworm"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "forfikulo"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "kõrvahark"
    },
    {
      "code": "gur",
      "lang": "Farefare",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "baga"
    },
    {
      "code": "fo",
      "lang": "Faroese",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "tvísterta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "pihtihäntäinen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "forficule"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "perce-oreille"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "cadela de frade"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "cadela faldrexa"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "rapacarallas"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "zormicadela"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "forcadela"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "q̇urbela",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "ყურბელა"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Ohrwurm"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Ohrenkriecher"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Ohrkneifer"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "fülbemászó"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "gailseach"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "forficula"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "forfecchia"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "鋏虫"
    },
    {
      "alt": "はさみむし, ハサミムシ, hasamimushi",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "蠼螋"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "jipgebeolle",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "집게벌레"
    },
    {
      "code": "lb",
      "lang": "Luxembourgish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Ouereschlëffer"
    },
    {
      "code": "gv",
      "lang": "Manx",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "gollage"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "matā"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "hiore kakati"
    },
    {
      "code": "enm",
      "lang": "Middle English",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "erwig"
    },
    {
      "code": "enm",
      "lang": "Middle English",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "erwigge"
    },
    {
      "code": "gmh",
      "lang": "Middle High German",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "ôrenwützel"
    },
    {
      "code": "mn",
      "lang": "Mongolian",
      "roman": "čixüür xorxoj",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "чихүүр хорхой"
    },
    {
      "code": "mos",
      "lang": "Moore",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "kara-nanga"
    },
    {
      "code": "mos",
      "lang": "Moore",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "ka-nanga"
    },
    {
      "code": "nv",
      "lang": "Navajo",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "jeeʼiighááh"
    },
    {
      "code": "nrf",
      "lang": "Norman",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "pèrche-ouothelle"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "saksedyr"
    },
    {
      "code": "ang",
      "lang": "Old English",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "ēarwiċġa"
    },
    {
      "code": "ota",
      "lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
      "roman": "kulağa kaçan",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "قولاغه قاچان"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "skorek"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "cęgosz"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "szczypawka"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "szczypawica"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "tesourinha"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "lacrainha"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "rapino"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "bicha-cadela"
    },
    {
      "code": "rap",
      "lang": "Rapa Nui",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "garara"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "urechelniță"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "uxovjórtka",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "уховёртка"
    },
    {
      "code": "sco",
      "lang": "Scots",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "hornie-gollach"
    },
    {
      "code": "gd",
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "fiolan-cluaise"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "uholaža"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "strižavka"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ucholak"
    },
    {
      "code": "sl",
      "lang": "Slovene",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "strigalica"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "tijereta"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "tvestjärt"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "roman": "maeng-kaa-reuang",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "แมงคาเรือง"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "kulağakaçan"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "ščýpavka",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "щи́павка"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "vuxovértka",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "вухове́ртка"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "sâu tai"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pryf clustiog"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "chwilen glust"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pryf clust"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pryf clustiau"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pryfyn clust"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "chwilod clust"
    },
    {
      "code": "fy",
      "lang": "West Frisian",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "foarkestekker"
    },
    {
      "code": "yi",
      "lang": "Yiddish",
      "note": "אויערוואָרעם (Oyerverm, literally “Ear worm”)",
      "sense": "the insect"
    },
    {
      "code": "zu",
      "lang": "Zulu",
      "sense": "the insect",
      "word": "umkhothane"
    }
  ],
  "word": "earwig"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Assyrian Neo-Aramaic translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Cherokee translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Esperanto translations",
    "Terms with Estonian translations",
    "Terms with Farefare translations",
    "Terms with Faroese translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Galician translations",
    "Terms with Georgian translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Manx translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Middle English translations",
    "Terms with Middle High German translations",
    "Terms with Mongolian translations",
    "Terms with Moore translations",
    "Terms with Navajo translations",
    "Terms with Norman translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian translations",
    "Terms with Old English translations",
    "Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Rapa Nui translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Scots translations",
    "Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
    "Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
    "Terms with Slovak translations",
    "Terms with Slovene translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Thai translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
    "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
    "Terms with Welsh translations",
    "Terms with West Frisian translations",
    "Terms with Yiddish translations",
    "Terms with Zulu translations",
    "en:Earwigs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "erwigge"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English erwigge",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ēarwicga"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ēarwicga",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ēare",
        "3": "wicga",
        "nocat": "1",
        "t1": "ear",
        "t2": "insect"
      },
      "expansion": "ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”)",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”), so named from a popular belief that they are able to penetrate a person's head through the ear.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "earwigs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "earwigging",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "earwigged",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "earwigged",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "earwig (third-person singular simple present earwigs, present participle earwigging, simple past and past participle earwigged)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1831 November, Edward Lancaster, “Appearances”, in The Ladies′ Museum, page 202:",
          "text": "In the interim, rest assured that Mr. Atherstone is by no means your friend, for he was perpetually earwigging poor Sir Rowland.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1866 February 23, South Australian Parliament, Debates in the Houses of Legislature: September 29 1865-March 16 1866, page 1127:",
          "text": "The hon. gentleman Mr. Reynolds had expressed his fears that the Government would allow themselves to be earwigged out of the money.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To attempt to influence by persistent confidential argument or talk."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To attempt to influence by persistent confidential argument or talk."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Russell K. Lewis, In a Moment...: Book One of the Ley of the Land, page 381:",
          "text": "He had heard nothing from Fin, or anyone else, since the angry exchange the other night and was worried about how things were going, but he couldn′t ask about the LeMotts, not with Mum earwigging.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Cat Rambo, Jeff VanderMeer, The Strange Case of the Lovecraft Café: The Surgeon′s Tale and Other Stories, page 89:",
          "text": "The nameless earwigging writer scrawled in his notebook that “MS and CT also considered that such low life would have a greater pride and satisfaction in life if they could themselves be cooked and served still bleating to rich diners.″",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Charlie Cochrane, Lessons in Seduction, page 100:",
          "text": "This man turned up on the last train, wanting a room, and his name had been odd enough to stay in the children′s minds as they earwigged—not something you ever do, Jonty.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To eavesdrop."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "eavesdrop",
          "eavesdrop"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, UK, slang) To eavesdrop."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "intransitive",
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2017 December 1, Leo Lewis, “Eric Cantona on seagulls, fixing Man Utd and why you can't buy passion”, in Financial Times:",
          "text": "We are meeting at a friendly, higher-end Shanghai brunching spot beloved of expats—cramped and informal enough that one of the three bankers at the next table is cheerfully earwigging our conversation.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To eavesdrop on."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "eavesdrop",
          "eavesdrop"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, UK, slang) To eavesdrop on."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-earwig.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/af/En-au-earwig.ogg/En-au-earwig.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/En-au-earwig.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "našepvam",
      "sense": "To fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations",
      "word": "нашепвам"
    }
  ],
  "word": "earwig"
}

Download raw JSONL data for earwig meaning in All languages combined (21.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.