earwax

[ eer-waks ]

noun

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

earwax

/ ˈɪəˌwæks /

noun

1. the nontechnical name for cerumen

Word History and Origins

Origin of earwax¹

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

Example Sentences

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 few years later, The Takeout referred to it as "Satan's earwax."

From Salon

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