louse
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Middle English lows(e), from Old English lūs, from Proto-Germanic *lūs (cf. West Frisian lûs, Dutch luis, Low Saxon (Low German) Luus, German Laus), from Proto-Indo-European *lewH- (cf. Welsh llau (“lice”), Tocharian B luwo, maybe Sanskrit यूका (yūkā)).
Pronunciation [edit]
Noun [edit]
louse (plural lice or (nonstandard) louses)
- A small parasitic wingless insect of the order Phthiraptera.
- (colloquial, dated, not usually used in plural form) A contemptible person; one who has recently taken an action considered deceitful or indirectly harmful.
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
- body louse
- booklouse
- crab louse
- head louse
- louser
- lousy
- pubic louse
- sea louse
- three skips of a louse
Translations [edit]
insect
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worthless person
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Verb [edit]
louse (third-person singular simple present louses, present participle lousing, simple past and past participle loused)
Synonyms [edit]
Translations [edit]
Anagrams [edit]
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English nouns
- English colloquialisms
- English dated terms
- English verbs
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- English words with multiple plurals
- en:Insects