“Swab” is a small piece of soft cotton or gauze fixed to the end of a thin stick. You use it to clean, collect, or apply something—most often to clean a wound or take a sample from inside your nose, throat, or ear.
In everyday life, people reach for a cotton swab when they want to tidy the outer ear after a shower, clean a tiny scratch on their child’s knee, or apply medicine to a cut. During cold and flu season, a nurse may gently run a swab inside your nose to collect a sample for a COVID-19 test. In the kitchen, some use a swab to spread butter in a narrow jar or to clean tight corners of a coffee machine.
Meaning & Usage Examples
- Noun: “Grab a swab and dab the cut with antiseptic.”
- Verb: “The doctor will swab your throat to check for strep.”
- Everyday: “I swab the keyboard with alcohol every Friday.”
Common Contexts
- Medical: Nurses use swabs for tests and wound care.
- Beauty: Makeup artists clean brushes or correct eyeliner with swabs.
- Household: Swabs reach tight spots in electronics, jewelry, or small appliances.
Is a swab the same as a Q-tip?
Most people call cotton swabs “Q-tips,” but Q-tip is just one brand name. Any stick with cotton on the end is a swab.
Can I use a swab to clean inside my ear?
Doctors advise against it. It’s safer to clean only the outer ear; pushing a swab inside can hurt the eardrum.
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