louse
English
![](../I/m/Pediculus_humanus_var_capitis.jpg)
headhouse under illumination and magnified.
Etymology
From Middle English lous, lows, lowse, from Old English lūs, from Proto-Germanic *lūs (compare West Frisian lûs, Dutch luis, German Low German Luus, German Laus, from Proto-Indo-European *lewH- (compare Welsh llau (“lice”), Tocharian B luwo, maybe Sanskrit यूका (yūkā)).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /laʊs/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -aʊs
Noun
- A small parasitic wingless insect of the order Psocodea.
- (colloquial, dated, not usually used in plural form) A contemptible person; one who is deceitful or causes harm.
- 1946, Joseph Thompson Shaw, The hard-boiled omnibus: early stories from Black Mask (page 388)
- He said: "Thanks, friend; but you're wasting your time. You better warn Crocker. If that louse makes a play for me, he'll get hit with Chicago lightning!"
- 1949, Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend (song)
- It's then that those louses go back to their spouses. Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
- 1946, Joseph Thompson Shaw, The hard-boiled omnibus: early stories from Black Mask (page 388)
Usage notes
- When used as a term of abuse, the plural is typically louses, though lice is also possible.
Derived terms
Translations
insect
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worthless person
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Verb
louse (third-person singular simple present louses, present participle lousing, simple past and past participle loused)
- To remove lice from.
Synonyms
Translations
Middle English
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