Q-tip

noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Alternative form of Q-tip. alt-of, alternative
  2. 2
    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
  1. 1
    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."

Synonyms

All synonyms
cotton swabcotton wool bud

Example

More examples

"He swabbed the inside of his cheek with his Q-Tip."

Etymology

American genericization from the brand name coined (and registered as the trademark "Q-TIPS") by Unilever; see tip. Q stands for quality.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.