Lexic.us

Definition of Louse

1. Noun. Wingless usually flattened bloodsucking insect parasitic on warm-blooded animals.

2. Noun. A person who has a nasty or unethical character undeserving of respect.

3. Noun. Any of several small insects especially aphids that feed by sucking the juices from plants.

4. Noun. Wingless insect with mouth parts adapted for biting; mostly parasitic on birds.

Definition of Louse

1. n. Any one of numerous species of small, wingless, suctorial, parasitic insects belonging to a tribe (Pediculina), now usually regarded as degraded Hemiptera. To this group belong of the lice of man and other mammals; as, the head louse of man (Pediculus capitis), the body louse (P. vestimenti), and the crab louse (Phthirius pubis), and many others. See Crab louse, Dog louse, Cattle louse, etc., under Crab, Dog, etc.

2. v. t. To clean from lice.

Definition of Louse

1. Noun. A small parasitic wingless insect of the order ''Phthiraptera''. ¹

2. Noun. (colloquial dated not usually used in plural form) A contemptible person; one who has recently taken an action considered deceitful or indirectly harmful. ¹

3. Verb. To remove lice from the body of a person or animal; to delouse. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Louse

1. a parasitic insect [n LICE] / to spoil or bungle [v LOUSED, LOUSING, LOUSES]

Medical Definition of Louse

1. Origin: OE. Lous, AS. Ls, pl. Ls; akin to D. Luis, G. Laus, OHG. Ls, Icel. Ls, Sw. Lus, Dan. Luus; perh. So named because it is destructive, and akin to E. Lose, loose. 1. Any one of numerous species of small, wingless, suctorial, parasitic insects belonging to a tribe (Pediculina), now usually regarded as degraded Hemiptera. To this group belong of the lice of man and other mammals; as, the head louse of man (Pediculus capitis), the body louse (P. Vestimenti), and the crab louse (Phthirius pubis), and many others. See Crab louse, Dog louse, Cattle louse, etc, under Crab, Dog, etc. 2. Any one of numerous small mandibulate insects, mostly parasitic on birds, and feeding on the feathers. They are known as Mallophaga, or bird lice, though some occur on the hair of mammals. They are usually regarded as degraded Pseudoneuroptera. See Mallophaga. 3. Any one of the numerous species of aphids, or plant lice. See Aphid. 4. Any small crustacean parasitic on fishes. See Branchiura, and Ichthvophthira. The term is also applied to various other parasites; as, the whale louse, beelouse, horse louse. Louse fly, any one of numerous species of mites which infest mammals and birds, clinging to the hair and feathers like lice. They belong to Myobia, Dermaleichus, Mycoptes, and several other genera. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Louse

loured lourenswalsite loures loureth louri lourie lourier louries louriest louring

lourings louris lours loury lous louse-borne typhus louse around louse flies louse fly louse up

louseborne loused louselike louses lousewort louseworts lousicide lousicides lousier

Literary usage of Louse

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Journal of the American Chemical Society by American Chemical Society (1892)
"HONEY FROM THE APHIS OR PLANT louse. , BY DR. HW WILEY. Contributions from the Chemical Laboratory of the US Department of Agriculture. No. 1. ..."

2. A History of the Earth, and Animated Nature by Oliver Goldsmith (1824)
"The louse has at that time sufficient, appetite to feed in any posture; ... It has been pleasantly said, that a louse becomes a grandfather in the space of ..."

3. The Insect Book: A Popular Account of the Bees, Wasps, Ants, Grasshoppers by Leland Ossian Howard (1905)
"Life History of the Hop-Plant louse (Phorodon humuli Schrank.) This insect which we have just mentioned as an extremely injurious species is commonly known ..."

4. Science from an Easy Chair by Edwin Ray Lankester (1911)
"An ant "milking" a "plant-louse " or "green-fly" for honey- dew. The drop of honey-dew is seen exuding from one of the two long tubes or spouts (called ..."

5. Annual Report by Illinois Farmers' Institute (1908)
"Furthermore, this clover louse has a long list of insect enemies. ... Another insect enemy of the clover louse is the lace-wing fly. ..."

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