Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Louse
Louse
(lous)
, Noun.
pl.
Lice
(līs)
. [OE.
lous
, AS. lūs
, pl. lȳs
; akin to D. luis
, G. laus
, OHG. lūs
, Icel. lūs
, Sw. lus
, Dan. luus
; perh. so named because it is destructive, and akin to E. lose
, loose
.] (Zool.)
1.
Any one of numerous species of small, wingless, suctorial, parasitic insects belonging to a tribe (
Pediculina
), now usually regarded as degraded Hemiptera. To this group belong of the lice of man and other mammals; as, the head
. See louse
of man (Pediculus capitis
), the body louse
(Pediculus vestimenti
), and the crab louse
(Phthirius pubis
), and many othersCrab louse
, Dog louse
, Cattle louse
, etc., under Crab
, Dog
, etc. 2.
Any one of numerous small mandibulate insects, mostly parasitic on birds, and feeding on the feathers. They are known as Mallophaga, or bird lice, though some occur on the hair of mammals. They are usually regarded as degraded Pseudoneuroptera. See
Mallophaga
. 3.
Any one of the numerous species of aphids, or plant lice. See
Aphid
. 4.
Any small crustacean parasitic on fishes. See
Branchiura
, and Ichthvophthira
. ☞ The term is also applied to various other parasites; as, the whale louse, beelouse, horse louse.
Louse fly
(Zool.)
, a parasitic dipterous insect of the group Pupipara. Some of them are wingless, as the bee louse.
– Louse mite
(Zool.)
, any one of numerous species of mites which infest mammals and birds, clinging to the hair and feathers like lice. They belong to
Myobia
, Dermaleichus
, Mycoptes
, and several other genera.Louse
(louz)
, Verb.
T.
To clean from lice.
“You sat and loused him.” Swift.
Webster 1828 Edition
Louse
LOUSE
,Noun.
A small insect of the genus Pediculus. It has six feet, two eyes, with long feelers and a sting in the mouth. It infests the bodies of men and other animals; but different animals are infested with different species.
LOUSE
,Verb.
T.
Definition 2024
louse
louse
English
Noun
louse (plural lice or louses)
- A small parasitic wingless insect of the order Phthiraptera.
- (colloquial, dated, not usually used in plural form) A contemptible person; one who has recently taken an action considered deceitful or indirectly harmful.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Terms derived from louse
Translations
insect
|
|
worthless person
|
|
Verb
louse (third-person singular simple present louses, present participle lousing, simple past and past participle loused)
Synonyms
Translations
To remove lice