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# earwax

noun (earwax; uncountable)

«earwax» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Earwax is the soft yellow or brown waxy stuff that the body makes inside the ear canal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earwax/#m1)
2. It protects the ear by catching dust and germs and keeping the skin from drying out. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earwax/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science and health lessons, earwax is a natural part of the body that cleans itself; doctors say not to push cotton buds (cotton swabs, Q-tips) into ears, as this can push wax deeper and hurt the eardrum. In funny stories, earwax is a «yucky» detail. Phrases: «build-up of earwax», «ear drops».

### Examples

- Earwax helps keep dirt out of your ears. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earwax/#x1)
- Never poke cotton buds into your ear to remove earwax. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earwax/#x2)
- The doctor put drops in my ear to soften the earwax. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earwax/#x3)
- Earwax can be yellow, orange or brown. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earwax/#x4)
- Too much earwax can make it hard to hear. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earwax/#x5)
- In the story, the troll had earwax as thick as butter. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earwax/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable: «some earwax», not «an earwax». Written as one word (also «ear wax»). The body moves earwax out by itself, so most people do not need to clean inside the ear.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «earwax» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/earwax/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«earwax» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/earwax.html) on Mova free.