cootie
Meanings
Plural: cooties
Noun
- a parasitic louse that infests the body of human beings
- A louse (Pediculus humanus).
- Any germ or contaminant, real or imagined, especially from the opposite gender (for pre-pubescent children).
- A nest-building female American coot (counterpart to cooter).
- A sideswiper, a type of telegraph key.
Origin / Etymology
Probably from Malay kutu (“flea, louse”) (and/or Tagalog/Maori). First attested in English in 1917 as British army slang during World War I.
Synonyms
body louse, Pediculus corporis
Scrabble Score: 8
cootie is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordcootie is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
cootie is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary
Words With Friends Score: 9
cootie is a valid Words With Friends word