1.
cotton swab; cotton bud; Q-tip
A small stick with cotton wrapped around one or both ends, used for cleaning ears, applying medicine or cosmetics, and other purposes.
綿棒で耳を掃除する。
To clean one's ears with a cotton swab.
薬局で綿棒を買ってきて。
Go buy some cotton swabs at the pharmacy.
細かい部分の汚れは綿棒を使うときれいに落とせる。
You can cleanly remove dirt from small areas by using a cotton swab.
A common household item. Composed of 綿 (cotton) + 棒 (stick/rod). An everyday word that every learner living in Japan will encounter.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 綿棒で耳掃除: ear cleaning with a cotton swab
- 綿棒で塗る: to apply (medicine/cosmetics) with a cotton swab
- 使い捨ての綿棒: disposable cotton swabs
- 先の細い綿棒: cotton swabs with thin tips
USAGE:
While commonly used for ear cleaning in Japan, medical professionals often advise against inserting cotton swabs into the ear canal. 綿棒 is also used for applying medicine to wounds, cleaning small electronics, and precision cosmetics application.
RELATED TERMS:
- 耳掃除: ear cleaning
- 耳かき: ear pick — a traditional Japanese ear-cleaning tool, different from a cotton swab
- 脱脂綿: absorbent cotton; cotton wool — the medical cotton used for gauze and padding