DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
lice
虱
Louse n.; pl. Lice 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.
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.
3. Any one of the numerous species of aphids, or plant lice. See Aphid.
4. Any small crustacean parasitic on fishes. See Branchiura, and Ichthvophthira.
Note: ☞ The term is also applied to various other parasites; as, the whale louse, beelouse, horse louse.
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.
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)]
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.