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earplug

American

[eer-pluhg] / ˈɪərˌplʌg /

noun

a plug of soft, pliable material inserted into the opening of the outer ear, especially to keep out water or noise.

earplug British

/ ˈɪəˌplʌɡ /

noun

a small piece of soft material, such as wax, placed in the ear to keep out noise or water

"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 earplug

First recorded in 1900–05; ear ¹ + plug

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.

Separately thousands of military veterans are taking legal action against the MoD and an earplug manufacturer after being given ear protection they say was faulty.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025

To this end, the team rendered the lab mice temporarily deaf in one ear by means of an earplug.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2024

Beyond the earplug litigation, 3M in June agreed to pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 2023

Aearo filed for bankruptcy in July 2022, with 3M pledging $1 billion to fund its liabilities stemming from the earplug lawsuits.

From Reuters • Aug. 29, 2023

He slipped the earplug of his memophone into his left ear and pressed the stud in the middle of his Grand Star of the Order of Odin.

From A Slave is a Slave by Piper, H. Beam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023