earworm

Definitions

1. A tune that keeps replaying in one's head or that one keeps thinking about, especially if unwanted.
2. Ellipsis of corn earworm (“larva of the moths Helicoverpa zea (syn. Heliothis zea) and Helicoverpa armigera, which are agricultural pests”).
   abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
3. An earwig (“insect of the order Dermaptera”).
   archaic

Equivalents

7 more languages

Suomikorvamato

Gàidhligèist-bhèist

Italianotormentone

日本語イヤーワーム

Nederlandsoorwurm

Portuguêschicletemúsica chiclete

Русскийнавязчивая мело́дия

Examples

“The chorus [of "Meeting in the Ladies Room" by Klymaxx] spawned an earworm so potent that women still mutter it as they exit for a bathroom break⟳ twenty years later.”

“"It's been haunting me," she said. / "Yeah, well," he said, weakly. "Sometimes tunes do that." [...] "I don't mean⟳ that I heard it once before and caught an earworm. [...]"”

“My Mom has a special gift—or curse—depending on how you look⟳ at it. She suffers from ear worms. That's when you have⟳ songs runnin' around in your head and can't shut⟳ them off. All day long, at the ranch, Mom would go about her work⟳, singin' and whistlin'.”

“Earworms are the virological vectors onto which sonic branding latches. [...] A commonly cited species within memetics, the earworm is the catchy tune⟳ that you cannot get⟳ out of your head, the vocal refrain, the infectious rhythm or the addictive riff.”

“She does not regard her ear-worms as anything other than an incidental irritant in her life. Unlike Jane, I have⟳ an ear-worm all the time – literally all the time – from the moment I wake⟳ up to the moment I zonk out; [...]”

“And with the way he's turned our music into my own⟳ personal ear worm, I think⟳ I'm actually getting this artistry thing he keeps yammering on about.”

“I had planned in mind⟳ to tell⟳ you [...] how I protected, that is, guaranteed, Evergreen sweet corn against the bud worm and the ear worm; [...]”

“The number⟳ of bollworms or ear worms increases greatly as the season advances. This indicates a need⟳ for hastening the maturity of all crops affected.”

“Encouraging progress⟳ is being made, however, in the search⟳ for and utilization of earworm-resistant strains of both field and sweet corn. We mentioned the protection of ears from earworms, weevils, and grain moths by tight husks that extend⟳ beyond the tip⟳ of the ear.”

“The fall⟳ armyworm and the corn earworm attack sweet corn as earworms. [...] Although they may sometimes eat⟳ through the husk to attack the side of the ear, most earworms feed⟳ on the silks and enter⟳ through the silk channel to attack the tip⟳ of the ear. The earworm population may be almost completely composed of corn earworms or of fall⟳ armyworms, or of a mixture of the two species.”

“A single earworm may seriously damage⟳ or destroy⟳ the bud of a cole crop plant⟳, causing the plant⟳ to be disfigured or to produce⟳ several secondary buds. Earworms may disfigure the heads of cabbage plants by their feeding and tunneling [...].”

“[I]nsects exert undesirable influence⟳ on tropical maize production, with stem borers, ear worms and weevils being the most ubiquitous groups.”

“Earwig, [...] The ear-worm or grub, a well-known insect, with large transparent wings, which eats fruit and flower-leaves, and has been erroneously supposed to creep⟳ into the human brain through the ear; [...]”

“Foreign Bodies in the Ear. [...] The ear-worm (forficula auricula), so much dreaded by people, occasions no special danger, but behaves in the ear in as harmless a manner as all other living animalcula of that calibre.”

CEFR level