louse

1 of 2

noun

ˈlau̇s 

1

plural lice ˈlīs 

a

: any of various small wingless usually flattened insects (orders Anoplura and Mallophaga) parasitic on warm-blooded animals

b

: a small usually sluggish arthropod (such as a biting louse) that lives on other animals or on plants and sucks their blood or juices

c

: any of several small arthropods (such as a book louse) that are not parasitic

2

plural louses ˈlau̇-səz  : a contemptible person : heel

what a beast, what a cad, what a louse he had been

—Walter Karig

louse

2 of 2

verb

ˈlau̇s  ˈlau̇z 

loused; lousing

transitive verb

: to remove lice from

Synonyms

Noun

• bastard
• beast
• bleeder [British]
• blighter [chiefly British]
• boor
• bounder
• bugger
• buzzard
• cad
• chuff
• churl
• clown
• creep
• cretin
• crud [slang]
• crumb [slang]
• cur
• dirtbag [slang]
• dog
• fink
• heel
• hound
• jerk
• joker
• lout
• pill
• rat
• rat fink
• reptile
• rotter
• schmuck [slang]
• scum
• scumbag [slang]
• scuzzball [slang]
• skunk
• sleaze
• sleazebag [slang]
• sleazeball [slang]
• slime
• slimeball [slang]
• slob
• snake
• so-and-so
• sod [chiefly British]
• stinkard
• stinker
• swine
• toad
• varmint
• vermin

Examples of louse in a Sentence

Noun

a problem with head lice

Her ex-husband is a real louse.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Fleas and lice transmit the bacteria that causes typhus when the bugs defecate upon biting and the excrement infects the wound. —Maia Pandey, NBC News, 28 July 2023

On Walmart This foamy mousse uses enzymes rather than chemicals or pesticides to effectively remove louse and nits. —Alena Hall, Verywell Health, 6 Mar. 2023

Outbreaks of head lice typically happen at daycare centers and schools when direct contact allows a louse to crawl from one person’s hair into another. —Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 5 June 2021

Mouse lemurs are parasitized by a particular species of louse, Lemurpediculus verruculosus, which feed off the lemurs' blood. —Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2012

Check in on your sister who is married to the stubborn louse. —Annie Lane, oregonlive, 11 May 2023

More louse discoveries will surely come, thanks to improved technology. —Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

In some communities, lice are becoming resistant to that treatment. —Alena Hall, Verywell Health, 6 Mar. 2023

No one then understood that the disease was a bacterial infection, transmitted by lice and other vermin. —David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023

Verb

Will Ferrell figure out a way to get along, their fathers (Mel Gibson, John Lithgow) show up for the holidays to louse everything up in this comedy sequel. —Chris Foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2017

See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English lous, from Old English lūs; akin to Old High German lūs louse, Welsh llau lice

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing louse

• bird louse
• book louse
• crab louse
• biting louse
• louse up
• jumping plant louse
• wood louse
• short-nosed cattle louse
• sucking louse
• body louse
• head louse
• plant louse

See More

• bird louse
• book louse
• crab louse
• biting louse
• louse up
• jumping plant louse
• wood louse
• short-nosed cattle louse
• sucking louse
• body louse
• head louse
• plant louse

See More

Kids Definition

louse

noun

ˈlau̇s

1

plural lice

ˈlīs

a

: any of various small wingless usually flat insects that live as parasites on the bodies of warm-blooded animals

b

: any of several other small arthropods (as a book louse or wood louse) that are not parasites

2

plural louses

ˈlau̇-səz

: a mean person

Medical Definition

louse

noun

ˈlau̇s 

plural lice ˈlīs 

: any of the small wingless usually flattened insects that are parasitic on warm-blooded animals and constitute the orders Anoplura and Mallophaga