Plural of earwig (small insects with pincers at the rear), or third-person singular verb meaning to persuade/influence secretly.
Old English 'earwicga,' literally 'ear + wiggle,' from the false medieval belief these insects crawled into ears. The creature's name reflects ancient fears rather than actual behavior.
Earwigs are completely innocent—they've never actually invaded anyone's brain—but they got stuck with one of the most sinister names in entomology! They're actually beneficial garden insects that eat aphids, and they earned complete rehabilitation from their terrible reputation.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.