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Glite Dictionary
common louse

common louse

4.6
A small insect that lives on the head or body of people and drinks their blood
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒmən laʊs/
translation icon : piojo común
  • The common louse is often found in the hair of children, making it important for parents to check regularly.

Examples

  • Infestations of the common louse are more frequent among school-aged children.

  • The school nurse checked all the children for common louse infestations.

  • A common louse can live up to a month on the human body if not treated.

  • The common louse can cause severe itching.

  • A common louse can be hard to detect.

  • Infestations of the common louse can lead to intense itching and discomfort for those affected.

  • After the outbreak of common louse in the classroom, the school organized an inspection for all students.

Synonyms

Pediculus humanus
vscommon louse
  • Specialized
9.8

A small insect that lives on people's hair or clothing and feeds on blood

is the everyday name for the same insect rather than the scientific label

Surface Forms

common louse singular
common lice plural

Morphology

common + louse

The noun phrase 'common louse' is fully compositional: 'common' (typical/frequent) modifies 'louse' (a tiny parasitic insect), so the combined meaning is simply a frequently occurring or typical louse. This straightforward adjectival modification follows normal cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words will readily understand the phrase.

Etymology

Common louse is a name that literally describes the animal: louse means a 'tiny parasite' and common shows it is 'widespread among people'. So the phrase means a small insect that lives on the human body, feeds on blood, and causes itching.