/ ˈɪəwɪg; NAmE ˈɪrwɪg/ noun
a small brown insect with a long body and two curved pointed parts called pincers that stick out at the back end of its body
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English ēarwicga , from ēare ear + wicga earwig (probably related to wiggle ); the insect was once thought to crawl into the human ear.