earworm
1
[ eer-wurm ]
/ ˈɪərˌwɜrm /
noun
Words nearby earworm
Definition for earworm (2 of 2)
earworm
2
[ eer-wurm ]
/ ˈɪərˌwɜrm /
noun
a tune or part of a song that repeats in one’s mind.
verb (used with object)
to work (itself or its way) into a person’s mind: The Pepsi jingles have earwormed their way into my head.
Origin of earworm
2
1980–85; loan translation of German
Ohrwurm ‘catchy tune, earwig’
Example sentences from the Web for earworm
“Cups” has had the unlikeliest of journeys to summer earworm.
10 ‘Song of the Summer’ Contenders From Daft Punk to Ciara (VIDEO) |Kevin Fallon |July 5, 2013 |DAILY BEASTBut in the 1990s, the English word "earworm" gained the meaning "a song or melody that keeps repeating in one's mind."
New Words Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary: ‘Man Cave,’ ‘Sexting,’ and More |Kory L. Stamper |August 14, 2012 |DAILY BEASTThe newer sense of "earworm" is actually influenced by the German word for this phenomenon—a word that translates to "earworm."
New Words Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary: ‘Man Cave,’ ‘Sexting,’ and More |Kory L. Stamper |August 14, 2012 |DAILY BEAST"Earworm" has been around for quite some time to refer to a pest that burrows into the ears of corn.
New Words Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary: ‘Man Cave,’ ‘Sexting,’ and More |Kory L. Stamper |August 14, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
British Dictionary definitions for earworm
earworm
/ (ˈɪəˌwɜːm) /
noun
informal
an irritatingly catchy tune
Word Origin for earworm
C20: from German
Ohrwurm earwig