綿棒

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 綿棒, read めんぼう, combines 綿 (cotton) and 棒 (stick).
• Basic usage: It names a small cotton-tipped stick, used in the examples for removing dust and making a painted pattern.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Marking a tool
  • In 綿棒で取り除いた, で marks the tool used to remove the dust.
• Part of a tool
  • 綿棒の先に places the paint on the swab's tip rather than over the whole swab. の先 narrows down the location.