noun
definition
A small parasitic wingless insect of the order Psocodea.
definition
(not usually used in plural form) A contemptible person; one who is deceitful or causes harm.
Examples of lice in a Sentence
Flies, lice, gadflies and mosquitoes are the worst of the insect plagues.
Wingless insects, such as spring-tails and lice, make their appearance in the form of miniature adults.
Willughby, Ray and others in the late 17th century to include the active larvae of beetles, as well as bugs, lice, fleas and other insects with undeveloped wings.
All are transmitted by arthropods such as lice, mites and ticks.
How to recognize head lice The adult head louse is a small gray or brown insect, about the size of a match head.
Lice found on the head are not pubic lice; they are head lice.
The lice also attack and kill young salmon smolts as they return to the sea from the estuaries.
But such people will always exist, like lice on society's underbelly.
But such people will always exist, like lice on society 's underbelly.
A shirt made of linen with either ruffles at the collar and sleeves (designed to fight off lice) or else add-on matching collars and ruffled cuffs.
Ruffles were not nearly as common, or vastly understated, because people needed mobility to work and simply dealt with lice as a fact of life.
The list of arthropods that bite or sting humans is extensive and includes lice, bedbugs, fleas, mosquitoes, black flies, ants, chiggers, ticks, centipedes, scorpions, and other species.
A lice infestation, or pediculosis, is caused by parasites living on human skin.
Lice are tiny, wingless insects with sucking mouthparts that feed on human blood and lay eggs on body hair or in clothing.
Pediculosis capitis is an infestation of head lice.
A body lice infestation is called pediculosis corporis.
Pediculosis palpebrarum or phthiriasis palpebrarum, caused by crab lice, is an infestation of the pubic hair.
Head lice live and crawl on the scalp, sucking blood every three to six hours.
Adult head lice can be silvery-white to reddish-brown.
Female lice lay their eggs in sacs called nits that are about 0.04 in (1 mm) long and are glued to shafts of hair close to the scalp.
Body lice lay their nits in clothing or bedding.
Body lice nits are oval and yellow to white in color.
Pubic lice have large front legs and look like tiny crabs.
Lice are endemic in human populations, spreading through personal contact or contact with infested clothing or other personal items.
Among children head lice are commonly transmitted by the sharing of hats, combs, brushes, hair accessories, headphones, pillows, and stuffed toys.
Pubic lice are sexually transmitted, although occasionally they can be transmitted through infested bedding, towels, or clothing.
Lice do not jump, hop, or fly and they do not live on pets.
Head lice cannot survive without a human host for more than a few days at most.
Body lice can live without human contact for up to 10 days.
Pubic lice can survive for one to two weeks without human contact.
Head lice infestations are extremely common among children in schools, childcare facilities, camps, and playgrounds.
Some 6 to 12 million American children get head lice every year.
Although anyone can get head lice, children aged three to ten and their families are most affected.
Although American black children are much less likely to have head lice than white or Hispanic children, the incidence is increasing, particularly in black children with thick hair, hair extensions, or wraps.
In Africa head lice have adapted their claws to the curly, elliptical hair shafts of blacks.
Neither frequent brushing or shampooing nor hair length affects the likelihood of a head lice infestation.
In general body lice infestations occur in crowded, unsanitary facilities, such as prisons and military or refugee camps.
Lice infestations are characterized by intense itching caused by an allergic reaction to a toxin in lice saliva.
Swelling or inflammation of the neck glands are common complications of head lice.
Body lice bites first appear as small red pimples or puncture marks and may cause a generalized skin rash.
A doctor may need to distinguish between body lice and scabies (a disease caused by skin mites) and between pubic lice and eczema (a skin condition).
A doctor should be consulted if complications develop from a lice infestation or if a child contracts a bacterial infection from scratching the bites.
Lice usually are diagnosed by the itching; however, itching may not occur until several weeks after infestation, if at all.
The tickling caused by moving lice may be noticeable.
Definite diagnosis requires identification of lice or their nits.
Head lice may cause irritability in children and scalp irritations or sores may be present.
Head lice in children are usually confined to the scalp.
Since less than 20 mature lice may be present at a given time during infestation, the nits often are easier to spot.
Applying about 10 oz (280 gm) of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to the hair and rubbing with a white towel for about 30 seconds releases lice onto the towel for identification.
Body lice appear similar to head lice; however, they burrow into the skin and are rarely seen except on clothing where they lay their nits in seams.