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earwax

American  
[eer-waks] / ˈɪərˌwæks /

noun

  1. a yellowish, waxlike secretion from certain glands in the external auditory canal; cerumen.


earwax British  
/ ˈɪəˌwæks /

noun

  1. the nontechnical name for cerumen

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of earwax

First recorded in 1350–1400, earwax is from the Middle English word erewax. See ear 1, wax 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Treasure finds in England have hit a record high, with a lamp shaped like a human foot and an earwax scoop among the more unusual items unearthed.

From BBC

Eventually, Dr. Hocker said, additional DNA testing will provide intimate details about the crew found on the Vasa, down to whether they had freckles or wet or dry earwax.

From New York Times

A key limitation of apps and online tests is that they can’t rule out potentially reversible causes of hearing loss, such as excess earwax, the way an audiologist would during an in-person test.

From Washington Post

“I found out about this a day and a half ago. I wish I knew earlier, I would have brought earwax.”

From Seattle Times

Back before commercial whaling was widely outlawed, plugs of earwax were frequently collected from whale carcasses and stored in archives.

From Salon