louse
any small, wingless insect of the order Anoplura (sucking louse ), parasitic on humans and other mammals and having mouthparts adapted for sucking, as Pediculus humanus humanus(body louse ) or Pediculus humanus capitis(head louse ) and Phthirius pubis(crab louse, or pubic louse ).
any insect of the order Mallophaga (bird louse, biting louse, or chewing louse ), parasitic on birds and mammals, having mouthparts adapted for biting.
Slang. a contemptible person, especially an unethical one.
louse up, Slang. to spoil; botch: Miscasting loused up the movie.
Origin of louse
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for louse
/ (laʊs) /
any wingless bloodsucking insect of the order Anoplura: includes Pediculus capitis (head louse), Pediculus corporis (body louse), and the crab louse, all of which infest man: Related adjective: pedicular
biting louse or bird louse any wingless insect of the order Mallophaga, such as the chicken louse: external parasites of birds and mammals with biting mouthparts
any of various similar but unrelated insects, such as the plant louse and book louse
plural louses slang an unpleasant or mean person
to remove lice from
(foll by up) slang to ruin or spoil
Origin of louse
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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