cootie

or coot·y

[ koo-tee ]

/ ˈku ti /

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See synonyms for cootie on Thesaurus.com

noun plural coot·ies.Informal.

a louse, especially one affecting humans, as the body louse, head louse, or pubic louse.

a child's term for an imaginary germ or disease that one can catch by touching a person who is disliked or socially avoided: The girls at camp thought the boys had cooties.

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Origin of cootie

1910–15; perhaps <Malay kutu biting body louse, with final syllable conformed to -ie

Other definitions for cootie (2 of 2)

cootie²

or coot·y

[ koo-tee ]

/ ˈku ti /

noun Scot.

a wooden container, especially a wooden bowl, for storing or serving food or drink.

Origin of cootie

1775–85; variant of Scots cood, of uncertain origin

How to use cootie in a sentence

Or worse, they act like you have cooties or must be broken somehow because of this one experience.
#SurvivorPrivilege Schools George Will on the Reality of Rape|Amanda Marcotte|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were a species new to me that seemed to have sprung up in the hard times, just as cooties spring up in time of war.
The Iron Puddler|James J. Davis
Colds and cooties played havoc with the boys for several weeks.
The Delta of the Triple Elevens|William Elmer Bachman
The cooties became very thirsty and got off the clothes to get a drink, then I pulled them away quickly.
Funny Stories Told By The Soldiers|Carleton B. Case

To her surprise she received a letter from him saying: Yes, every soldier gets the cooties.
Funny Stories Told By The Soldiers|Carleton B. Case
If only the "cooties" could have been destroyed in the same way, the Germans might have been forgiven many of their offenses.
Inventions of the Great War|A. Russell (Alexander Russell) Bond

British Dictionary definitions for cootie

cootie

/ (ˈkuːtɪ) /

noun

US and NZ a slang name for the body louseAlso called (NZ): kutu See louse (def. 1)

Word Origin for cootie

C20: perhaps from Malay or Māori kutu louse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cootie

or coot·y

Origin of cootie

Other definitions for cootie (2 of 2)

or coot·y

Origin of cootie

Words related to cootie

How to use cootie in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cootie

Word Origin for cootie