Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod, made of wood, rolled paper, or plastic, most commonly used in aural hygiene and cosmetics application.
Also see
Translations
Arabic عُود أُذُن
- عُود أُذُن (ʕūd ʔuḏun)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Bulgarian клечка за уши
- клечка за уши (klečka za uši)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Chinese Mandarin 棉花棒, 棉棒
- 棉花棒 (miánhuābàng)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- 棉棒 (miánbàng)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- 棉籤 /棉签 (miánqiān)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Czech vatová tyčinka, tyčinka do uší
- vatová tyčinkaa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- tyčinka do ušía small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- uchošťoura small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Danish vatpind
- vatpinda small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Dutch wattenstaafje
- wattenstaafjea small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Finnish pumpulipuikko, vanupuikko
- pumpulipuikkoa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- vanupuikkoa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- korvapuikkoa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- topsipuikkoa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
French coton-tige, coton tige
- coton-tigea small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- coton tigea small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- bâtonnet ouatéa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
German Wattestäbchen
- Wattestäbchena small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Greek ωτογλυφίδα, ωτοκαθαριστής
- ωτογλυφίδα (otoglyfída)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- ωτοκαθαριστής (otokatharistís)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- μπατονέτα (batonéta)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Hebrew מַקֵּל נִקּוּי אָזְנַיִם
- מַקֵּל נִקּוּי אָזְנַיִם (maqqēl niqqui ʾå̄zənayim)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Hungarian fültisztító pálcika
- fültisztító pálcikaa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Icelandic eyrnapinni
- eyrnapinnia small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Indonesian kapas pentol, korek kuping
- kapas pentola small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- korek kupinga small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Irish baitín cadáis
- baitín cadáisa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Italian cotton fioc, bastoncino cotonato
- cotton fioca small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- bastoncino cotonatoa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- nettaorecchia small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- pulisciorecchia small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Japanese 綿棒
- 綿棒 (menbō)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Korean 면봉
- 면봉 (myeonbong)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Malay putik kapas, kapas kesat
- putik kapasa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- kapas kesata small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Norwegian bomullspinne
- bomullspinnea small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Persian گوشپاککن
- گوشپاککن (gôš-pâk-kon)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Polish patyczek do uszu, patyczek higieniczny
- patyczek do uszua small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- patyczek higienicznya small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- wymazówkaa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- wacika small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Portuguese cotonete, suabe
- cotonetea small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- suabea small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- zaragatoaa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Romanian bețișor de vată, bețișor cu vată
- bețișor de vatăa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- bețișor cu vatăa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Russian ва́тный ту́пфер, ту́пфер
- ва́тный ту́пфер (vátnyj túpfer)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- ту́пфер (túpfer)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- ва́тная па́лочка (vátnaja páločka)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Spanish bastoncillo, bastoncillo de algodón
- bastoncilloa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- bastoncillo de algodóna small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- hisopoa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- hisopo de algodóna small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- cotonetea small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- copitoa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Swedish bomullspinne, tops
- bomullspinnea small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- topsa small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Turkish kulak çubuğu
- kulak çubuğua small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Ukrainian ва́тяна па́личка, ва́тна па́личка
- ва́тяна па́личка (vátjana pályčka)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
- ва́тна па́личка (vátna pályčka)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Vietnamese tăm bông
- tăm bônga small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Welsh ffon gotwm
- ffon gotwma small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Yiddish וואַטע שפּיץ
- וואַטע שפּיץ (vate shpits)a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod
Cite this entry
APA
cotton swab. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cotton%20swab
MLA
“cotton swab.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cotton%20swab. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cotton swab,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cotton%20swab.
Source: cotton swab on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.