- éarwicga
- m (-n/-n) an earwig or worm
Old to modern English dictionary. 2013.
éarwicga
Look at other dictionaries:
earwig — ear·wig (îr’wĭg′) n. ▸ Any of various elongate insects of the order Dermaptera, having a pair of usually pincerlike appendages protruding from the rear of the abdomen. Also called dermapteran. tr.v. ear·wigged, ear·wig·ging, ear·wigs ▸ To attempt … Word Histories
earwig — I. noun Etymology: Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare ear + wicga insect Date: before 12th century any of numerous insects (order Dermaptera) having slender many jointed antennae and a pair of cerci resembling forceps at … New Collegiate Dictionary
earwig — /ear wig /, n., v., earwigged, earwigging. n. 1. any of numerous elongate, nocturnal insects of the order Dermaptera, having a pair of large, movable pincers at the rear of the abdomen. v.t. 2. to fill the mind of with prejudice by insinuations.… … Universalium
éorwicga — see éarwicga … Old to modern English dictionary
earwig — ear|wig [ˈıəˌwıg US ˈır ] n [: Old English; Origin: earwicga ear insect ; because it used to be believed that these insects get into people s ears] a long brown insect with two curved pointed parts at the back end of its body … Dictionary of contemporary English
earwig — [OE] A colloquial Old English term for ‘insect’ was wicga (which would have been pronounced something like ‘widger’). It probably came from the same prehistoric Germanic base (*wig ) as produced English wiggle [13], and so is roughly equivalent… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
earwig — (n.) (Forficula auricularia), O.E. earwicga, from eare (see EAR (Cf. ear) (1)) + wicga beetle, worm, probably related to WIGGLE (Cf. wiggle). So called from the ancient and widespread (but false) belief that the garden pest went into people s… … Etymology dictionary
earwig — noun a small elongated insect with a pair of terminal appendages that resemble pincers. [Order Dermaptera: many species.] verb (earwigs, earwigging, earwigged) Brit. informal eavesdrop. Origin OE ēarwicga, from ēare ear + wicga earwig (prob.… … English new terms dictionary
earwig — ear•wig [[t]ˈɪərˌwɪg[/t]] n. v. wigged, wig•ging 1) ent any of numerous dark and slender nocturnal insects of the order Dermaptera, having horny pincers at the rear that can rise up like a scorpion s 2) to fill the mind of with prejudice by… … From formal English to slang
earwig — /ˈɪəwɪg/ (say earwig) noun 1. any insect of the order Dermaptera, characterised by the forceps or pincers at the end of the abdomen. These harmless insects were popularly supposed to injure the human ear. 2. Colloquial an eavesdropper; stickybeak …
