cotton bud

IPA/ˈkɒtn bʌd/
IPA/ˈkɑːtn bʌd/

cotton bud — noun

1. a short stick whose both ends are covered in a thin layer of soft cotton; people

1.名詞B1
釋義

a short stick whose both ends are covered in a thin layer of soft cotton; people use it to clean small areas such as the ears, to apply or remove makeup, and for art and craft activities

例句

Theo cleaned his ears gently with a cotton bud after his shower.

typical use: ear cleaning

Lin used a damp cotton bud to wipe away the smudged eyeliner.

makeup correction with cotton bud

同義詞
  • cotton swab

    Standard American English term for the same item.

  • Q-tip

    Brand name widely used as a generic term in North America; informal but very common.

用法筆記

In the UK and Australia, cotton bud is the everyday term; in the US the same item is usually called a cotton swab. Q-tip is a common brand name that is often used generically in North America.

常見錯誤

❌I used a cotton stick to clean my ears.
✅I used a cotton bud to clean my ears.
💡A cotton stick is not the name of this product; the correct term is cotton bud or cotton swab.
❌The doctor inserted a cotton bud into the wound.
✅The doctor used a sterile cotton bud to clean the wound.
💡Dropping 'sterile' changes the meaning; cotton buds from a household pack are not medical-grade.