What is this close-up picture? (WotsThat: Cotton bud tip)

Question

What object is shown in this zoomed-in close-up photo?

SpinelDark · Accepted Answer

Cotton bud tip. Most cotton buds are actually made from wood pulp and synthetic fibers rather than real cotton, despite their name. The iconic twisted paper stick was invented in the 1920s by a man named Leo Gerstenzang, who got the idea while watching his wife clean their baby's ears with a toothpick wrapped in cotton—a genuinely dangerous practice that his invention was meant to replace.

Answer: Cotton bud tip

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