earworm

== English == === Alternative forms === ear worm, ear-worm === Etymology === From ear +‎ worm; senses 1 and 3 (“tune that keeps replaying in one’s head”; “earwig”) are a calque of German Ohrwurm (“tune that pops up in one’s memory all the time; earwig”) (from the idea of a creature burrowing into the ear, an erroneous belief where earwigs are concerned), while sense 2 (“moth larva”) refers to the fact that these pests infest, among other things, ears of maize or sweet corn. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɪəwɜːm/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɪ(ə)ɹˌwɚm/ Hyphenation: ear‧worm === Noun === earworm (plural earworms) A tune that keeps replaying in one's head or that one keeps thinking about, especially if unwanted. Synonym: brainworm (originally US) Ellipsis of corn earworm (“larva of the moths Helicoverpa zea (syn. Heliothis zea) and Helicoverpa armigera, which are agricultural pests”). (archaic) An earwig; an insect of the order Dermaptera. ==== Derived terms ==== earwormy ==== Related terms ==== brainworm ear candy earsore ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== === References === === Further reading === earworm on Wikipedia.Wikipedia