Lice

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Lice \Lice\ (l[imac]s), n.;
     pl. of {Louse}.
     [1913 Webster] licenced
     licence

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Louse \Louse\ (lous), n.; pl. {Lice} (l[imac]s). [OE. lous, AS.
     l[=u]s, pl. l[=y]s; akin to D. luis, G. laus, OHG. l[=u]s,
     Icel. l[=u]s, Sw. lus, Dan. luus; perh. so named because it
     is destructive, and akin to E. lose, loose.] (Zool.)
     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
        ({Pediculus vestimenti}), and the crab louse ({Phthirius
        pubis}), and many others. See {Crab louse}, {Dog louse},
        {Cattle louse}, etc., under {Crab}, {Dog}, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Any one of the numerous species of aphids, or plant lice.
        See {Aphid}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Any small crustacean parasitic on fishes. See
        {Branchiura}, and {Ichthvophthira}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The term is also applied to various other parasites;
           as, the whale louse, beelouse, horse louse.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Louse fly} (Zool.), a parasitic dipterous insect of the
        group Pupipara. Some of them are wingless, as the bee
        louse.
  
     {Louse mite} (Zool.), 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.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  louse
       n 1: wingless usually flattened blood-sucking insect parasitic on
            warm-blooded animals [syn: {sucking louse}]
       2: a person who has a nasty or unethical character undeserving
          of respect [syn: {worm}, {insect}, {dirt ball}]
       3: any of several small insects especially aphids that feed by
          sucking the juices from plants [syn: {plant louse}]
       4: wingless insect with mouth parts adapted for biting; mostly
          parasitic on birds [syn: {bird louse}, {biting louse}]
       [also: {lice} (pl)]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  lice
       See {louse}

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Lice
     (Heb. kinnim), the creatures employed in the third plague sent
     upon Egypt (Ex. 8:16-18). They were miraculously produced from
     the dust of the land. "The entomologists Kirby and Spence place
     these minute but disgusting insects in the very front rank of
     those which inflict injury upon man. A terrible list of examples
     they have collected of the ravages of this and closely allied
     parasitic pests." The plague of lice is referred to in Ps.
     105:31.
     
       Some have supposed that the word denotes not lice properly,
     but gnats. Others, with greater probability, take it to mean the
     "tick" which is much larger than lice.