earwax
noun
ear·wax
| \ ˈir-ˌwaks
\
\
Definition of earwax
: the yellow waxy secretion from the glands of the external ear
— called also cerumen
Examples of earwax in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Museums have long collected whale specimens, many containing massive plugs of earwax (above: actual size, roughly 10 inches in length). — Stephen J. Trumble, National Geographic, "See our four favorite scientific breakthroughs this month," 12 June 2019 For example, earwax buildup often contributes to hearing difficulty, and wax usually can be easily removed by a health care provider. — Colin Driscoll, sun-sentinel.com, "Correcting hearing loss can help keep older adults engaged in life," 5 June 2019 In most cases, your earwax slowly oozes or falls out of your ear. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What to Do If You Have an Earwax Blockage," 29 Jan. 2019 Biologist Stephen Trumble is no stranger to whale earwax. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "Whales are stressed out by climate change, and it shows in their earwax," 16 Nov. 2018 The Sackler family acquired Purdue Pharma in the 1950s, then a small New York City pharmaceutical company that sold laxatives, earwax remover and arthritis treatment. — Lillian Rizzo, WSJ, "Purdue Pharma Hires Davis Polk for Restructuring Help," 17 Aug. 2018 These are, however, heady times for earwax enthusiasts, as researchers continue to dig out unexpected insights about this lowly substance. — Cecil Adams, Chicago Reader, "Why are different races correlated with two different types of earwax, and when did this divergence occur?," 25 May 2018 For instance, the report asserts that the whales’ age can only be ascertained by analyzing earwax plugs that build up over time. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Japan Killed 112 Pregnant Whales in the Name of Scientific Research," 30 May 2018 It’s been understood for a while that the consistency of one’s earwax is a genetic trait, distributed ethnogeographically, as your quote describes. — Cecil Adams, Chicago Reader, "Why are different races correlated with two different types of earwax, and when did this divergence occur?," 25 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'earwax.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for earwax
earwax
noun
English Language Learners Definition of earwax
: a waxlike substance produced inside the ear
See the full definition for earwax in the English Language Learners Dictionary
earwax
noun
ear·wax
| \ ˈir-ˌwaks
\
\
Kids Definition of earwax
: a yellowish brown waxy substance made by glands in the canal of the outer part of the ear
earwax
noun
ear·wax
| \ ˈi(ə)r-ˌwaks
\
\
Medical Definition of earwax
: the yellow waxy secretion from the glands of the external ear
— called also cerumen
Keep scrolling for more