q-tip
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q-tip¹
noun q-tips
- Alternative form of Q-tip
Q-tip²
Where it comes from
American genericization from the brand name coined (and registered as the trademark "Q-TIPS") by Unilever; see tip. Q stands for quality.
noun Q-tips · q-tip
- A cotton swab consisting of short, thin, flexible plastic rods with a swab of cotton/cotton wool at each end; they are typically used for cleaning the ears and other hard-to-reach places.
verb Q-tips · Q-tipping · Q-tipped · q-tip
-
To clean with a Q-tip.
He disposed of his black outfit, doomed to incineration, and took a quick antimicrobial-enhanced shower […] lathering his face, sanctifying his pits, and Q-tipping his pointy ears.
Similar: cotton wool bud
Talk about this word "q-tip." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/q-tip. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. q-tip. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/q-tip "q-tip." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/q-tip.Cite this
@misc{q_tip_2026,
title = {q-tip},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/q-tip},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
