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Glite Dictionary
sucking louse

sucking louse

9.9
A small wingless insect that lives on birds or mammals and drinks their blood
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌkɪŋ laʊs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : piojo chupador
  • The veterinarian identified the parasite as a sucking louse, which requires immediate treatment.

Examples

  • A sucking louse can cause irritation and anemia in livestock if not controlled.

  • Birds and mammals are common hosts for the sucking louse due to their warm-blooded nature.

  • The sucking louse is often found on cats.

  • Many animals suffer from sucking lice infestations.

  • The veterinarian identified the parasite as a sucking louse, which requires immediate treatment.

  • A sucking louse can cause irritation and anemia in livestock if not controlled.

  • Many animals suffer from sucking louse infestations that can lead to health issues.

Synonyms

Anoplura
vssucking louse
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A group of small insects that live on mammals and suck their blood

is an everyday term for one member rather than the scientific group

Surface Forms

sucking louse singular
sucking lice plural

Morphology

sucking + louse

The compound is a straightforward adjective+noun combination: 'sucking' (performing sucking) modifies 'louse' (a parasitic insect), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a louse that feeds by sucking (e.g., blood). This compositional, descriptive pattern is common across languages and follows regular English modifier+head morphology, making the meaning predictable to B1 learners.

Etymology

The compound noun sucking louse shows a simple picture: the word sucking tells us it feeds by sucking blood, and louse names a small 'parasite' that lives on animals. So the name means a tiny 'parasite' that feeds on the blood of birds or mammals.