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licemore about lice

lice

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Lice  \Lice\  (l[imac]s),  n.; 
  pl  of  {Louse}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Louse  \Louse\  (lous),  n.;  pl  {Lice}  (l[imac]s).  [OE.  lous,  AS 
  l[=u]s,  pl  l[=y]s;  akin  to  D.  luis,  G.  laus,  OHG.  l[=u]s, 
  Icel.  l[=u]s,  Sw  lus,  Dan.  luus;  perh.  so  named  because  it 
  is  destructive,  and  akin  to  E.  lose,  loose.]  (Zo["o]l.) 
  1.  Any  one  of  numerous  species  of  small  wingless,  suctorial, 
  parasitic  insects  belonging  to  a  tribe  ({Pediculina}),  now 
  usually  regarded  as  degraded  Hemiptera.  To  this  group 
  belong  of  the  lice  of  man  and  other  mammals;  as  the  head 
  louse  of  man  ({Pediculus  capitis}),  the  body  louse  ({P. 
  vestimenti}),  and  the  crab  louse  ({Phthirius  pubis}),  and 
  many  others  See  {Crab  louse},  {Dog  louse},  {Cattle 
  louse},  etc.,  under  {Crab},  {Dog},  etc 
 
  2.  Any  one  of  numerous  small  mandibulate  insects,  mostly 
  parasitic  on  birds,  and  feeding  on  the  feathers.  They  are 
  known  as  Mallophaga,  or  bird  lice,  though  some  occur  on 
  the  hair  of  mammals.  They  are  usually  regarded  as  degraded 
  Pseudoneuroptera.  See  {Mallophaga}. 
 
  3.  Any  one  of  the  numerous  species  of  aphids,  or  plant  lice. 
  See  {Aphid}. 
 
  4.  Any  small  crustacean  parasitic  on  fishes.  See 
  {Branchiura},  and  {Ichthvophthira}. 
 
  Note:  The  term  is  also  applied  to  various  other  parasites; 
  as  the  whale  louse,  beelouse,  horse  louse. 
 
  {Louse  fly}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  parasitic  dipterous  insect  of  the 
  group  Pupipara.  Some  of  them  are  wingless,  as  the  bee 
  louse. 
 
  {Louse  mite}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  numerous  species  of  mites 
  which  infest  mammals  and  birds,  clinging  to  the  hair  and 
  feathers  like  lice.  They  belong  to  {Myobia}, 
  {Dermaleichus},  {Mycoptes},  and  several  other  genera. 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Lice 
  (Heb.  kinnim),  the  creatures  employed  in  the  third  plague  sent 
  upon  Egypt  (Ex.  8:16-18).  They  were  miraculously  produced  from 
  the  dust  of  the  land.  "The  entomologists  Kirby  and  Spence  place 
  these  minute  but  disgusting  insects  in  the  very  front  rank  of 
  those  which  inflict  injury  upon  man.  A  terrible  list  of  examples 
  they  have  collected  of  the  ravages  of  this  and  closely  allied 
  parasitic  pests."  The  plague  of  lice  is  referred  to  in  Ps 
  105:31. 
 
  Some  have  supposed  that  the  word  denotes  not  lice  properly, 
  but  gnats.  Others  with  greater  probability,  take  it  to  mean  the 
  tick"  which  is  much  larger  than  lice.




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