Pl. lice. Forms: 1 lús, luus, 3 luse, 4 lous, 4–5 lowce, 4–7 lows(e, 6– louse. Pl. 1 lýs, 4–5 luys, 4–6 lys(e, (4 lyes(e, -yse, 5 lies(e, lise), 6 Sc. lyiss, 4–7 lyce, 6– lice. [A Com. Teut. fem. cons.-stem OE. lús = MLG., MDu. lûs (Du. luis), OHG., MHG. lûs (mod.G. laus), ON. lús (Da., Sw. lus).
I. 1. A parasitic insect of the genus Pediculus, infesting the human hair and skin and causing great irritation by its presence. Applied also to the numerous other kinds of insects parasitic on mammals, birds, and plants, and to the degraded crustaceans which infest fishes: often with qualification, as bird-, fish-, plant-, sea-louse.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), P. 310. Peducla, luus.
c. 1000. Hexam. Basil, xvii. (1849), 24. Hine byton lys.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 192. He afylde eal heora land mid … hundes lusum.
a. 1300. Sarmun, v. in E. E. P. (1862), 1. Of þi schuldres and of þi side þou miȝte hunti luse and flee.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 651. Þou forth bringes of þi-self here Nites, lyse, and other vermyn sere.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. V. 196. A tauny tabarde of twelue wynter age … ful of lys crepynge.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VI. 387. Arnulphus … [was] destroyed, and i-ȝete with luys riȝt to þe deth.
1460–70. Bk. Quintessence, 19. Medicyn … for to distrie lies þat ben engendrid of corrupt humouris.
1597. Beard, Theatre God’s Judgem. (1612), 389. In time it corrupted his flesh, and turned into lice.
1615. Latham, Falconry (1633), Words explained, Lice, are a small kinde of white vermine, running amongst the feathers of the Hawke.
1673. Phil. Trans., VIII. 6038. In a Lowse I observe indeed … a short tapering nose with a hole in it.
1732. Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, I. 247. It has always been believed that the immoderate use of them [sc. Figs] generates Lice.
1802. Bingley, Anim. Biog. (1813), III. 345. When we examine the human Louse with the microscope, its external deformity strikes us with disgust.
1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 253. Sleep impossible—mosquitoes! lice!!
b. In phrases and proverbs (mostly obs.), chiefly as a type of something worthless or contemptible, as not worth a louse, not to care (three skips of) a louse. † To prick a louse, to be a tailor.
1588. Greene, Alcida (1617), I 2. Lest thy … Logike prooue not worth a lowse.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., I. iii. (end). Care ’ll kill a cat, vp-tailes all, and a louse for the hang-man. Ibid. (1633), Tale Tub, II. i. I care not. I, Sir, not three skips of a Lowse for you.
1630. Articles agst. Cosin, in C.’s Corr., etc. (Surtees), I. 198. Many yeares before John Cosin could tell how to prick a lowse in his fathers shopp at Norwich.
1678. Otway, Friendship in F., 50. The very poets themselves that were wont to stand in awe of me, care not a louse for me now.
1699. Swift, Mrs. Harris’s Petit. ’Tis not that I value the money three skips of a louse.
1749. Chesterf., Lett. (1792), II. cxciii. 219. I … don’t care a louse if I never see it again.
1785. Burns, Addr. to Deil, xi. When the best wark-lume i’ the house … Is instant made no worth a louse.
1836. Marryat, Midsh. Easy, xii. I say, Mr. Gossett, have you got the spirit of a louse?
2. transf. Applied in scorn to human beings.
1633. Costlie Whore, I. ii. in Bullen, O. Pl., IV. Come away, fellow louse, thou art ever eating.
1901. R. Kipling, Kim, i. 25. Why hast thou allowed this louse Lutuf to live so long?
3. attrib. and Comb., as louse-mite; louse-berry (tree), Euonymus europæus; louse-burr, Xanthium strumarium; louse-disease, PHTHIRIASIS; louse-land (slang), Scotland; † louse-powder, powder for destroying lice; † louse-pricking, tailoring, also attrib.; † louse-seed, ? fleabane; louse-trap dial. and slang, a comb; lousewort, † (a) Stinking Hellebore, Helleborus fœtidus; (b) any plant of the genus Pedicularis, esp. P. palustris and P. sylvatica; (c) Yellow Rattle, Rhinanthus Cristagalli; (d) Delphinium Staphisagria (Britten & Holland).
1866. Treas. Bot., *Louseberry-Tree, Enonymus europæus.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. viii. 14. Xanthium, *Louse Burre, or the lesser Clote.
1879. J. R. Reynolds, Syst. Med., V. 973. *Louse-disease … may last indefinitely if unchecked.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, *Louse-land, Scotland.
1877. Murray, List Coll. Econ. Entomol., 14. Sarcoptidæ (Itch and *Louse Mites).
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, III. xxxix. 372. This herbe is called … in base Almaigne Luyscruyt, and the seede made into powder Luysepouder, that is to say, *Lousepowder.
1710. London’s Medicinal Informer, 53. His Father’s *Louse-pricking Trade, i. e. Tayloring.
1756. Toldervy, Hist. 2 Orphans, I. 164. It would be well for you, if you’d stay at home, and mind your louse-pricking.
c. 1265. Voc. Plants, in Wr.-Wülcker, 559/6. Psilliun, *lusesed.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, A Scotch *Louse-trap, a Comb. [See Eng. Dial. Dict.]
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, III. xxvi. 351. *Louswurt … Fuchsius counteth for a kinde of blacke hellebor.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, II. ccccxxi. 913. Of red Rattle, or Lousewoort.
1756. J. Hill, Brit. Herbal, 120. Our farmers have an opinion that sheep feeding on them [Coxcombs] become subject to vermin, whence the English name lousewort.
1901. Speaker, 21 Sept., 692/2. Yellow louse-worts.
