earwig
noun
[ ˈɪəwɪɡ ]
• a small elongated insect with a pair of terminal appendages that resemble pincers.
earwig
verb
• secretly listen to a conversation.
• "he looked behind him to see if anyone was earwigging"
Origin:
Old English ēarwicga, from ēare ‘ear’ + wicga ‘earwig’ (probably related to wiggle ); the insect was once thought to crawl into the human ear.
