Meaning of "earwig" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD EARWIG

Old English ēarwicga, from ēareear1 + wicga beetle, insect; probably from a superstition that the insect crept into human ears.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF EARWIG

earwig  [ˈɪəˌwɪɡ]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF EARWIG

Earwig is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb earwig in English.

WHAT DOES EARWIG MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Earwig

Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera and are found throughout the Americas, Africa, Eurasia, Australia and New Zealand. With about 2,000 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forceps pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded underneath short forewings, hence the scientific order name, "skin wings." Some groups are tiny parasites on mammals and lack the typical pincers. Earwigs rarely use their flying ability. Earwigs are nocturnal; they often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night, feeding on a wide variety of insects and plants. Damage to foliage, flowers, and various crops is commonly blamed on earwigs, especially the common earwig Forficula auricularia. Earwigs have five molts in the year before they become adults. Many earwig species display maternal care, which is uncommon among insects. Female earwigs may care for their eggs, and even after they have hatched as nymphs will continue to watch over offspring until their second molt. As the nymphs molt, sexual dimorphism such as differences in pincer shapes begins to show.

Definition of earwig in the English dictionary

The first definition of earwig in the dictionary is any of various insects of the order Dermaptera, esp Forficula auricularia, which typically have an elongated body with small leathery forewings, semicircular membranous hindwings, and curved forceps at the tip of the abdomen. Other definition of earwig is to eavesdrop. Earwig is also to attempt to influence by private insinuation.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO EARWIG

PRESENT

Present

I earwig

you earwig

he/she/it earwigs

we earwig

you earwig

they earwig

Present continuous

I am earwigging

you are earwigging

he/she/it is earwigging

we are earwigging

you are earwigging

they are earwigging

Present perfect

I have earwigged

you have earwigged

he/she/it has earwigged

we have earwigged

you have earwigged

they have earwigged

Present perfect continuous

I have been earwigging

you have been earwigging

he/she/it has been earwigging

we have been earwigging

you have been earwigging

they have been earwigging

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I earwigged

you earwigged

he/she/it earwigged

we earwigged

you earwigged

they earwigged

Past continuous

I was earwigging

you were earwigging

he/she/it was earwigging

we were earwigging

you were earwigging

they were earwigging

Past perfect

I had earwigged

you had earwigged

he/she/it had earwigged

we had earwigged

you had earwigged

they had earwigged

Past perfect continuous

I had been earwigging

you had been earwigging

he/she/it had been earwigging

we had been earwigging

you had been earwigging

they had been earwigging

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will earwig

you will earwig

he/she/it will earwig

we will earwig

you will earwig

they will earwig

Future continuous

I will be earwigging

you will be earwigging

he/she/it will be earwigging

we will be earwigging

you will be earwigging

they will be earwigging

Future perfect

I will have earwigged

you will have earwigged

he/she/it will have earwigged

we will have earwigged

you will have earwigged

they will have earwigged

Future perfect continuous

I will have been earwigging

you will have been earwigging

he/she/it will have been earwigging

we will have been earwigging

you will have been earwigging

they will have been earwigging

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would earwig

you would earwig

he/she/it would earwig

we would earwig

you would earwig

they would earwig

Conditional continuous

I would be earwigging

you would be earwigging

he/she/it would be earwigging

we would be earwigging

you would be earwigging

they would be earwigging

Conditional perfect

I would have earwig

you would have earwig

he/she/it would have earwig

we would have earwig

you would have earwig

they would have earwig

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been earwigging

you would have been earwigging

he/she/it would have been earwigging

we would have been earwigging

you would have been earwigging

they would have been earwigging

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you earwig
we let´s earwig
you earwig

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to earwig

Past participle

earwigged

Present Participle

earwigging

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

TRANSLATION OF EARWIG

Find out the translation of earwig to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of earwig from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «earwig» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 蠼螋
• Translator English - Spanish: tijereta
• English: earwig
• Translator English - Hindi: earwig
• Translator English - Arabic: حاول التأثير على شخص
• Translator English - Russian: уховертка
• Translator English - Portuguese: lacrainha
• Translator English - Bengali: কেন্নো
• Translator English - French: perce-oreille
• Translator English - Malay: Earwig
• Translator English - German: Ohrwurm
• Translator English - Japanese: ハサミムシ
• Translator English - Korean: 집게벌레
• Translator English - Javanese: Earwig
• Translator English - Vietnamese: con bọ xuyên tai
• Translator English - Tamil: earwig
• Translator English - Marathi: इअरविग
• Translator English - Turkish: kulağakaçan
• Translator English - Italian: forbicina
• Translator English - Polish: skorek
• Translator English - Ukrainian: щипавка
• Translator English - Romanian: urechelniță
• Translator English - Greek: ψαλίδα
• Translator English - Afrikaans: oorworm
• Translator English - Swedish: tvestjärt
• Translator English - Norwegian: saksedyr

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «EARWIG»

Discover the use of earwig in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to earwig and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Earwig and the Witch

"I would like to declare Diana Wynne Jones an international treasure," proclaimed Neil Gaiman, Newbery Medalist and best-selling author.

Diana Wynne Jones, 2012

Earwig

An introduction to earwigs, including what they look like, how they are born, what they eat, how they grow, and where they live.

Stephanie St. Pierre, 2008

The Earwig's Tail: A Modern Bestiary of Multi-legged Legends

In The Earwig's Tail, entomologist May Berenbaum and illustrator Jay Hosler draw on the powerful cultural symbols of these antiquated books to create a beautiful and witty bestiary of the insect world.

May R. Berenbaum, 2009

An Earwig in the Ear

Designed for reluctant readers whether children or adults, the Spirals series has been expanded with 12 titles for 2003, including four non-fiction titles.

Nigel Gray, 2003

Insects of the Great Lakes Region

An adult female little earwig, Labia minor ID. (From Hebard 1934.) Long-Horned Earwigs (Family Labiduridae) The seashore earwig, Anisolabis maritima (Bonelli) , is most common along the Atlantic coast but is also known from two localities in  ...

Gary A. Dunn, 1996

Encyclopedia of Entomology

Adults 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 ...

John L. Capinera, 2008

Endangered Wildlife and Plants of the World

When an earwig defends itself, it bends its pinchers forward over its back like a scorpion; the hooks are actually above the earwig's head. These hooks are also used to seize other insects and invertebrates as well as to fold the hind wings ...

Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2001

Encyclopedia of Urban Legends

The earwig got its name from an ancient folk belief claiming that this insect likes to enter the human ear and then bore its way deep into the head. The idea was probably strengthened by the earwig's appearance, with a sharp, pincer- like ...

Jan Harold Brunvand, 2001

Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America

COMMON EARWIGS (family Forf iculidae) include the European Earwig ( Forficula auricularia), introduced here and now locally abundant coast to coast. It first became established in Rhode Island around 1912. Portland, Oregon, declared a ...

Eric R. Eaton, Kenn Kaufman, 2007

The Other Insect Societies

3. Dermaptera. Earwig. Mothers. The earwigs may not come to the minds of many readers as exemplars of family life, but nesting and brood care behavior is found throughout the order. Moreover, the ease with which they are reared in the ...

James T. Costa, 2006

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «EARWIG»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term earwig is used in the context of the following news items.

Meggie Fairclough: When a country bumpkin starts at a big city …

Your accent will automatically differ from city dwellers, but your vocabulary also plays a significant role. Earwig into peoples' conversations and ... «Ashbourne News Telegraph, Jul 15»

Bizarre beauty treatments: the weirdest ways to look 'good'

And as long as we're all obsessed with beauty and willing to pay, the treatments will only keep getting weirder. What's next - earwig massages? «Telegraph.co.uk, Jul 15»

WCBE Presents The Wet Darlings Live From Studio A Thurs. July 9 …

... Things will take place Friday, July 10th @ Skully's Music-Diner with two more great local groups Earwig and The Receiver joining them. «WCBE 90.5 FM, Jul 15»

Earwigs bring back memories of first encounter

DAVID HAWKE/SPECIAL TO THE PACKET & TIMES The common earwig was not always common in this area. The curved pincers indicate ... «Orillia Packet & Times, Jul 15»

Backyard Mosquito Control

Earwig Populations are on the rise. Earwigs are insects that are about one-half inch long, brown, with a pair of pincers on the rear end. Earwigs ... «Lancaster Eagle Gazette, Jul 15»

Students enjoy final piece of cycling track jigsaw puzzle

The 1.5 mile Lewes to Ringmer Cycleway for cyclists and pedestrians to avoid the busy B2192 Lewes Road and Earwig Corner junction has ... «The Argus, Jul 15»

It's too darn hot - how to keep your cool as temperatures soar

I don't want to wake up with an earwig or wood louse snuggled up beside me. Here are some of the other suggestions I have gleaned:. «Ipswich Star, Jul 15»

An Ungentrified Man: David Gordon Green wraps up his Texas …

While the rest of the film was heavily workshopped, Green used Korine as a little chaos bomb. "When he came to the set, I'd put an earwig in his ... «Austin Chronicle, Jul 15»

East Michigan vegetable regional report – July 1, 2015

The first step to knocking back earwig population is to clean up the area around the plants. The next step would be to establish traps to lure ... «Michigan State University Extension, Jul 15»

Newsround's pick of the world's smelliest things

For an animal having a bad smell is a good way to ward off predators. The shore earwig squirts out a horrible smelling substance that make the ... «CBBC Newsround, Jun 15»