definitions

cootie

1

or coot·y

[ koo-tee ]
/ ˈku ti /
|

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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RELATED WORDS

tick, vermin, pest, mite, bee, butterfly, gnat, dragonfly, moth, grasshopper, spider, cockroach, termite, ant, mosquito, beetle, flea, aphid, ladybug, fly

Nearby words

coos, coos bay, coot, cootch, cooter, cootie, cooty, coover, cooze, cop, cop a feel

Origin of cootie

1
1910–15; perhaps < Malay kutu biting body louse, with final syllable conformed to -ie

Definition for cooties (2 of 4)

cooty

1
[ koo-tee ]
/ ˈku ti /

noun, plural coot·ies.

cootie1.

Definition for cooties (3 of 4)

cootie

2

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

2
1775–85; variant of Scots cood, of uncertain origin

Definition for cooties (4 of 4)

cooty

2
[ koo-tee ]
/ ˈku ti /

noun, plural coot·ies. Scot.

cootie2.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cooties

British Dictionary definitions for cooties

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