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head lice

head lice

6 2.5
Small insects that live in hair and make the head itchy
  • noun
  • /hɛd laɪs/
translation icon : piojos
  • To avoid getting head lice, children should not share hair accessories.
  • get head lice
  • treat head lice
  • outbreak of head lice

And that was the kind of thing you could feel in your scalp if you got, you know, a couple different strands of head lice at the same time.

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Examples

  • One applicant had visible head lice.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Having head lice is not a symptom of being dirty; lice actually prefer clean hair.

    Blog text (1)
  • One kid came in with head lice.

  • And I know for a fact that their two best players have head lice.

  • It's a way to treat head lice.

    Blog text (16)
  • Furthermore, warm weather is a haven for head lice.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Head lice can happen to anyone.

    Blog text (1)
  • Little Billie has head lice.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Ms. Suber warned parents of a looming head-lice epidemic.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • She noticed her daughter scratching her head and discovered that she had head lice.

Synonyms

Pediculus capitis
vshead lice
  • Specialized
6.4

A tiny insect that lives on the top of the head and causes strong itching

refers to the insects on the scalp in general rather than the species name
pediculosis capitis
vshead lice
  • Specialized
6.8

A condition where tiny lice live on the scalp and hair

refers to the insects themselves rather than the infestation condition

How Many

pediculosis corporis
  • Specialized
9.5
body louse
  • Specialized
8.7
head lice
6 2.5

Surface Forms

head lice singular
head lice plural

Morphology

head + louse

The meaning 'small parasitic insects that infest the hair and scalp' is directly and compositionally derived from 'head' (the body part) + 'louse' (a tiny parasitic insect), indicating lice located on the head. This is a literal, cross-linguistically common construction, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Head lice is a simple name that joins head and lice, creating the image of tiny lice living in someone's hair and biting the skin under the hair. So, the name means 'small insects that live on the head and make it itch'.