Earspoon

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, narrow instrument with a spoon-like scoop at one end, used to gently remove earwax from the ear canal
2. A slender spoon-shaped implement designed for reaching inside the ear to clear out wax and debris
3. A tiny scoop-ended tool that people use to carefully clean accumulated earwax out of the ear

Etymology: An earspoon is exactly what the name says: a small spoon-shaped instrument for cleaning the inside of the ear. The second half, "spoon," comes from Old English "spon," originally a chip or splinter of wood, which is why the older sense of the word once pointed to a shaving of wood rather than a utensil. The first half, "ear," is the ordinary Old English word for the organ of hearing. The compound took shape in Middle English as "herespon," with the spelling gradually shifting until the modern form emerged. Because both parts are plain native English words, the term needs no foreign borrowing to explain it: it is a straightforward descriptive compound, built from the same two ingredients that gave us "spoon" for a utensil in the first place.

Synonyms: ear scoop, earpick