louse

(lous)

1. pl. lice (līs) Any of numerous small, flat-bodied, wingless biting or sucking insects of the order Phthiraptera, which live as external parasites on birds and mammals, including humans. The lice are sometimes classified together with the psocids in the order Psocodea.

2. pl. lous·es (lous′ĭz) Slang A mean or despicable person.

tr.v. loused, lous·ing, lous·es Slang

To bungle. Often used with up: louse up a deal.

[Middle English, from Old English lūs; see lūs- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

louse

(laʊs)

n, pl lice (laɪs) pl louses

1. (Animals) any wingless bloodsucking insect of the order Anoplura: includes Pediculus capitis (head louse), Pediculus corporis (body louse), and the crab louse, all of which infest man.

2. (Animals) biting louse bird louse any wingless insect of the order Mallophaga, such as the chicken louse: external parasites of birds and mammals with biting mouthparts

3. (Animals) any of various similar but unrelated insects, such as the plant louse and book louse

4. slang an unpleasant or mean person

vb (tr)

5. to remove lice from

6. (foll by up) slang to ruin or spoil

[Old English lūs; related to Old High German, Old Norse lūs]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

louse

(n. laʊs; v. also laʊz)

n., pl. lice (līs) for 1–3, lous•es for 4, n.

1. any of various small, flat, wingless insects of the order Anoplura, with sucking mouthparts, that are parasitic on humans and other mammals, as Pediculus humanuscapitis (head louse) and P. humanus corporis (body louse).

2. any similar insect of the order Mallophaga, with biting mouthparts, parasitic on birds and some mammals.

3. aphid.

4. Slang. a contemptible person.

v.t.

5. to delouse.

6. louse up, Slang. to spoil; botch.

[before 900; Middle English lous(e),luse, Old English lūs, c. Middle Dutch, Middle Low German, Old High German, Old Norse lūs]

louse

(lous)

Plural lice (līs)

Any of numerous small, wingless insects that often live as parasites on the bodies of other animals, including humans. Lice have mouthparts adapted for biting or sucking, and they often feed on blood.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

louse

Past participle: loused
Gerund: lousing

Imperative
louse
louse

Present
I louse
you louse
he/she/it louses
we louse
you louse
they louse

Preterite
I loused
you loused
he/she/it loused
we loused
you loused
they loused

Present Continuous
I am lousing
you are lousing
he/she/it is lousing
we are lousing
you are lousing
they are lousing

Present Perfect
I have loused
you have loused
he/she/it has loused
we have loused
you have loused
they have loused

Past Continuous
I was lousing
you were lousing
he/she/it was lousing
we were lousing
you were lousing
they were lousing

Past Perfect
I had loused
you had loused
he/she/it had loused
we had loused
you had loused
they had loused

Future
I will louse
you will louse
he/she/it will louse
we will louse
you will louse
they will louse

Future Perfect
I will have loused
you will have loused
he/she/it will have loused
we will have loused
you will have loused
they will have loused

Future Continuous
I will be lousing
you will be lousing
he/she/it will be lousing
we will be lousing
you will be lousing
they will be lousing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been lousing
you have been lousing
he/she/it has been lousing
we have been lousing
you have been lousing
they have been lousing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been lousing
you will have been lousing
he/she/it will have been lousing
we will have been lousing
you will have been lousing
they will have been lousing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been lousing
you had been lousing
he/she/it had been lousing
we had been lousing
you had been lousing
they had been lousing

Conditional
I would louse
you would louse
he/she/it would louse
we would louse
you would louse
they would louse

Past Conditional
I would have loused
you would have loused
he/she/it would have loused
we would have loused
you would have loused
they would have loused

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	louse - wingless usually flattened bloodsucking insect parasitic on warm-blooded animals sucking louse insect - small air-breathing arthropod Anoplura, order Anoplura - sucking lice common louse, Pediculus humanus - head or body louse head louse, Pediculus capitis - infests the head and body of humans body louse, cootie, Pediculus corporis - a parasitic louse that infests the body of human beings crab louse, Phthirius pubis, pubic louse, crab - a louse that infests the pubic region of the human body
	2.	louse - a person who has a nasty or unethical character undeserving of respect dirt ball, insect, worm disagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeable
	3.	louse - any of several small insects especially aphids that feed by sucking the juices from plants plant louse homopteran, homopterous insect - insects having membranous forewings and hind wings aphid - any of various small plant-sucking insects adelgid - any of various insects that feed and form galls on conifers grape louse, grape phylloxera, Phylloxera vitifoleae - destructive to various grape plants jumping plant louse, psylla, psyllid - small active cicada-like insect with hind legs adapted for leaping; feeds on plant juices oak blight - a black plant louse that lives on oaks and dogwoods
	4.	louse - wingless insect with mouth parts adapted for biting; mostly parasitic on birds bird louse, biting louse insect - small air-breathing arthropod Mallophaga, order Mallophaga - biting lice chicken louse, Menopon gallinae, Menopon palladum, shaft louse - a louse parasitic on poultry

louse

noun

Related words
adjective pedicular

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

قَمْلَهيُتْلِف، يُفْسِد

въшка

vešzmrvitpromarnit

lusforkludre

Laus versauen

ψείρα

piojo sabandija sinvergüenza canalla

epattohylkiöluopiotäi

salaud pou poux

uš

tetű

kutu

lús

pidocchio pidocchioso spidocchiare disgustoso

pediculus

sacukotsaputrotuts

premrhaťzavšivavený

uš

lus

berbat etmek bit

con rận

弄糟搞乱虱子

louse

[laʊs] N (lice (pl))

1. (= insect) → piojo m

2. (= person) → canalla mf, sinvergüenza mf

louse up VT + ADV → fastidiar, echar a perder

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

louse

[ˈlaʊs] [lice] (pl) n (= body louse) → pou m

louse up

vt sep (= mess up) → gâcher

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

louse

n pl <lice>

(Zool) → Laus f

(inf) → fieser Kerl (inf); he behaved like a real louse to her → er war richtig fies zu ihr (inf), → er hat sich richtig fies benommen (inf)

vt (sl) to louse something up → etw vermasseln (inf); friendship → etw kaputt machen (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

louse

[laʊs] n (lice (pl)) → pidocchio (pej, fam) (person) → verme m

louse up vt + adv (Am) (fam) → rovinare

louse¹

(laus) – plural lice (lais) – noun

a type of wingless, blood-sucking insect, sometimes found on the bodies of animals and people.

lousy (ˈlauzi) adjective

1. having lice.

2. really terrible. I'm a lousy cook.

ˈlousiness noun

louse²

(laus) verb

(with up) (slang) to spoil or waste something; to make a mess of thing. It's your last chance; don't louse it up; He loused up again.

louse

n. piojo, insecto parásito que se aloja en el pelo, trasmisor de enfermedades infecciosas tales como la fiebre tifoidea.

louse

n (pl lice) piojo; body — piojo del cuerpo; crab — ladilla; head — piojo de la cabeza; pubic — ladilla, piojo del pubis or púbico

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Ech, I am an aesthetic louse and nothing more," he added suddenly, laughing like a madman.

View in context

I could see distinctly the limbs of these vermin with my naked eye, much better than those of a European louse through a microscope, and their snouts with which they rooted like swine.

View in context

"You see, dear man, this is not a sewing shop, and I had no proper tools; and, as they say, one needs a tool even to kill a louse," said Platon with one of his round smiles, obviously pleased with his work.

View in context

Thus: 'Lutuf Ullah is gone to Kurdistan.' Below, in coarse verse: 'O Allah, who sufferest lice to live on the coat of a Kabuli, why hast thou allowed this louse Lutuf to live so long?'

View in context

Yes--you must answer for it all because you turned up like this, because I am a blackguard, because I am the nastiest, stupidest, absurdest and most envious of all the worms on earth, who are not a bit better than I am, but, the devil knows why, are never put to confusion; while I shall always be insulted by every louse, that is my doom!

View in context

"You haven't the soul of a louse. I suppose any man could make love to your wife--"

View in context

The most common symptom of lice, which are usually found on the scalp, is itching caused by an allergic reaction to louse saliva, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Lice products are reformulated and modernized

If you suspect your child might have lice, check the hair very carefully for an adult louse or the smaller nymph.

Some tips for how to handle head lice

Even if one adult head louse is left in, they can soon lay a lot of eggs.

Here's some more little beasties to battle with

"I would suggest that, at present, there's no scientific evidence to show selfies play any role in head louse transmission beyond what might be found by normal head-to-head contact.

Can my child catch head lice from taking selfies? ASK THE EXPERT

"From common lice to super lice, Lice-Nil effectively eliminates both louse and nit, in just one 20-minute treatment."

Sampling helps Sujanil bolster Lice-Nil brand

On mass transit or in a movie theatre--although lice can only live for one day off the head, if a person were to sit in a movie theatre seat or on a bus, train, subway, or plane seat that was inhabited by an person with lice shortly before the second person sat there, a louse may be waiting on that seat.

LiceDoctors Identifies Ten Most Common Places to Pick Up a Case of Head Lice

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