body louse
noun
: a louse feeding primarily on the body
especially
: a sucking louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) feeding on the body and living in the clothing of humans
called also cootie
Examples of body louse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The body louse life cycle starts as an egg (nit), develops to a nymph, and finally becomes an adult louse.
—
Josephine Hessert,
Verywell Health,
2 Dec. 2024
The body louse, as vector of epidemic typhus, helped ruin Napoleon’s march on Moscow.
—
Barrett Klein,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Oct. 2024
Modern head lice and body lice diverged some 83,000 to 170,000 years ago, based on differences in their DNA.
—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2024
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Josephine Hessert,
Verywell Health,
2 Dec. 2024
The body louse, as vector of epidemic typhus, helped ruin Napoleon’s march on Moscow.
—
Barrett Klein,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Oct. 2024
Modern head lice and body lice diverged some 83,000 to 170,000 years ago, based on differences in their DNA.
—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Body louse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20louse. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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