LOUSE
What does "LOUSE" mean?
A small wingless parasitic insect that lives on the skin and hair of mammals and birds.
Meanings
- A tiny wingless insect that feeds on the blood or skin of a host; plural 'lice'. The school nurse checked the children's hair for a louse or its eggs.
- A contemptible or despicable person. Stealing from his own mother - what a louse. informal
- To spoil or botch something (usually 'louse up'). Don't louse up the interview by showing up late. informal
Did you know?
- The odd plural 'lice' is a fossil of Old English grammar: a vowel shift called i-mutation, the same one that turns 'mouse' into 'mice' and 'goose' into 'geese'.
Word origin
From Old English 'lus', of Germanic origin; its irregular plural 'lice' preserves an ancient i-mutation, like 'mouse'/'mice'. The insult sense dates from the 17th century.
Remember it
LOUSE has 'US' in the middle - a louse latches onto US, its hosts.
A little poem
Too small to be brave-
it holds to a single hair
and calls that hair home.
haiku
Wordplay
- Why did everyone call the cheating gambler a louse? He kept getting under their skin.
What it teaches
The smallest things demand the most thorough combing - neglect is where infestations begin.
Quick facts
What does LOUSE mean?
A small wingless parasitic insect that lives on the skin and hair of mammals and birds.
Is LOUSE a valid word?
Yes — LOUSE is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is LOUSE?
LOUSE has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does LOUSE come from?
From Old English 'lus', of Germanic origin; its irregular plural 'lice' preserves an ancient i-mutation, like 'mouse'/'mice'. The insult sense dates from the 17th century.
What can LOUSE teach us?
The smallest things demand the most thorough combing - neglect is where infestations begin.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.