noun
cootie
KOO-tee/ˈkuːti/
A small parasitic louse.
A cootie clings to a strand of hair.
Etymology
Cootie earlier meant a body louse, a real parasite rather than the imaginary contamination of children's play. A connection with Malay kutu, a biting insect, has been proposed, but the cited OED commentary questions it.
More examples
- The medic checks the soldiers' clothing for cooties.
- Cooties feed on human blood and can cause itching.
- He washes the infested clothes in hot water to kill cooties.
Forms
cootie · cooties
Similar words
- louse
- Louse is the standard term; cootie is informal.