delouse

verb

de·​louse (ˌ)dē-ˈlau̇s How to pronounce delouse (audio)
-ˈlau̇z
deloused; delousing; delouses

transitive verb

: to remove lice from

Examples of delouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Decades before, a precursor to the poison employed by the Nazis in their concentration camps had been sprayed on California oranges as a pesticide, and Zyklon B was used to delouse the trains in which tens of thousands of Mexican immigrants hid when entering the United States. Benjamín Labatut, Harper's Magazine, 28 Sep. 2021 Mexican border crossers during the early 20th century were doused with toxic chemicals, ostensibly to delouse them; outrage over the practice in El Paso incited the Bath Riots in 1917, which was quelled by U.S. troops. J. David Goodman, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2022 He was fingerprinted, photographed, made to strip and told to brace himself for a tub of delousing liquid. Lizzie Presser, ProPublica, 16 Oct. 2019 Taking the opposing view is Alexios Mantzarlis, the head of the International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute, who is working with Facebook to delouse the News Feed of falsehoods. Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, 10 May 2018 If Lice Busters is the Old Navy of delousing, Licenders is the J. Crew. Amy Sohn, New York Times, 8 June 2017 The Mars Volta: Deloused in the Comatorium (2003), Frances the Mute (2005), Amputechture (2006), The Bedlam in Goliath (2008), Octahedron (2009) Scott Thill, WIRED, 24 Dec. 2009

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'delouse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of delouse was circa 1919

Dictionary Entries Near delouse

Cite this Entry

“Delouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delouse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

delouse

verb
de·​louse (ˈ)dē-ˈlau̇s How to pronounce delouse (audio)
-ˈlau̇z
deloused; delousing
: to remove lice from

Medical Definition

delouse

transitive verb
deloused; delousing
: to remove lice from
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