Definition of COOTIE

cootie

Plural: cooties

Noun

  • A body louse; a parasitic insect.
  • a parasitic louse that infests the body of human beings
  • A louse (Pediculus humanus).
  • Any germ or contaminant, real or imagined, especially from the opposite gender (for pre-pubescent children).
  • A nest-building female American coot (counterpart to cooter).
  • A sideswiper, a type of telegraph key.

Examples

  • He avoided playing COOTIE near my high-scoring tile, fearing it might spread to his score.
  • I’m not drinking from his glass until I wash the cooties off it.

Origin / Etymology

Probably from Malay kutu (“flea, louse”) (and/or Tagalog/Maori). First attested in English in 1917 as British army slang during World War I.

Synonyms

body louse, Pediculus corporis

Scrabble Score: 8

cootie: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
cootie: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
cootie: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

cootie: valid Words With Friends Word