cootie
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A louse (Pediculus humanus).
Register: colloquial, dated, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
"Tell Rilla I'm glad her war-baby is turning out so well, and tell Susan that I'm fighting a good fight against both Huns and cooties."
"Mrs. Dr. dear," whispered Susan solemnly, "what are cooties?"
Mrs. Blythe whispered back and then said in reply to Susan's horrified ejaculations, "It's always lik
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A sideswiper, a type of telegraph key.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “cootie” mean?
A louse (Pediculus humanus).
Is “cootie” formal or informal?
cootie is generally colloquial, dated, slang.