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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of delouse was circa 1919

Rhymes for delouse

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Browse Nearby Words

deloul
delouse
delph
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Cite this Entry

“Delouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delouse. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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