cootie
noun
a louse, especially one affecting humans, as the body louse, head louse, or pubic louse.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It seems likely, if not certain, that the whole cooties thing would have been DOA in high school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
They walked past me as if I had cooties, or stared with disdain from inside the restaurant like I was a chupacabra.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2024
She gives a high-five to a boy in her class even after it is established among her friends that boys have cooties.
From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2019
If he is responding with this level of paralysis and panic and terror and “Get your cooties away from me” every couple of months, there are guys out there who are not like that.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2017
The kids in the front row follow her orders, one boy grumbling under his breath that he didn’t have cooties the last time he checked.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
