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definitions

cootie

1

or coot·y

[koo-tee]
|

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.

Origin of cootie

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

cooty

1
[koo-tee]

noun, plural coot·ies.

cootie1.

cootie

2

or coot·y

[koo-tee]

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

cooty

2
[koo-tee]

noun, plural coot·ies. Scot.

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

Related Words for cooties

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

Examples from the Web for cooties

Contemporary Examples of cooties

Historical Examples of cooties

  • The time had come, I am glad to say, when we and the cooties, must forever part.

    In the Flash Ranging Service

    Edward Alva Trueblood

  • One night, however, I discovered that I had been captured by "cooties."

  • They were lucky to escape with their lives, their cooties and their appetites.

    The Iron Puddler

    James J. Davis

  • The various dopes and patent preparations guaranteed as "good for cooties" are just that.

  • The cooties were very active, as we were drenched with sweat and hadn't had a bath since heavens knew when.

British Dictionary definitions for cooties

cootie

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
Word Origin and History for cooties
n.

1917, see cootie.

cootie

n.

"body lice," 1917, British World War I slang, earlier in nautical use, said to be from Malay kutu "dog tick."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper