ear bud

noun

An immature ear of maize from which the threadlike silks emerge.

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Meanings

ear bud1

nounear bud (plural ear buds)

plural ear buds · alternative ear-bud · alternative earbud

  1. An immature ear of maize from which the threadlike silks emerge.

ear bud2

nounear bud (plural ear buds)

plural ear buds · alternative ear-bud · alternative earbud

  1. An underdeveloped mammalian ear.
  2. South AfricaA cotton swab.
  3. alternativeAlternative form of earbud.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
cotton swab

Origin

ear bud · noun

From ear (“a fruiting body of grain”) + bud.

Full word history & related roots →

ear bud · noun

From ear (“an auditory organ”) + bud.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ear bud. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ear%20bud

MLA

“ear bud.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ear%20bud. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ear bud,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ear%20bud.

Source: ear bud on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.