Cootie

Pronunciation

Origin

1917, from British army slang during World War I, probably from Malay kutu ("flea, louse").

Full definition of cootie

Noun

1. (North America, colloquial) A louse.
• 1921, L. M. Montgomery, Rilla of Ingleside"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 like that in the trenches, Susan."Susan shook her head and went away in grim silence to re-open a parcel she had sewed up for Jem and slip in a fine tooth comb.
2. (North America, colloquial, childish, usually plural) Any germ or contaminant, real or imagined, especially from the opposite gender (for pre-pubescent children).I’m not drinking from his glass until I wash the cooties off it.
3. (rare) A nest-building female American Coot (counterpart to cooter).

Derived terms

• cootie catcher

Hyponyms

• (germ or contaminant) boy germ, girl germ