LOUSE

I. noun Etymology: Middle English lous, from Old English lūs; akin to Old High German lūs ~, Welsh llau lice Date: before 12th century 1. plural lice any of various small wingless usually flattened insects (orders Anoplura and Mallophaga) parasitic on warm-blooded animals, a small usually sluggish arthropod (as a biting ~) that lives on other animals or on plants and sucks their blood or juices, any of several small arthropods (as a book ~) that are not parasitic, a contemptible person ; heel , II. transitive verb (~d; lousing) Date: 14th century to remove lice from