Standard Lemma guide

delouse

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IY2 L AW1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To remove lice from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • A veterinarian could delouse your dog.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To apply insecticides or insect repellents to, in order to be sure that no lice or other parasites are present.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • During the Korean Conflict, American soldiers were deloused with DDT upon entering basic training.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To remove malicious software, such as viruses, trojans, spyware, or worms, from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • A deloused computer may still be considered no longer trustworthy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

free of lice

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • They deloused the prisoners after they liberated the camps

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: remove, take, take away, withdraw

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English louse English delouse From de- + louse.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: քթվել (kʻtʻvel) — to remove lice from
  • Aromanian: dispiducljedz — to remove lice from
  • Central Bikol: hinguto — to remove lice from
  • Catalan: espollar — to remove lice from
  • Catalan: esplugar — to remove lice from
  • Cebuano: hinguto — to remove lice from
  • Chinese Mandarin: 驅除蝨子 /驱除虱子 (qūchú shīzi) — to remove lice from
  • Dutch: ontluizen — to remove lice from
  • Finnish: poistaa täit — to remove lice from
  • Finnish: puhdistaa täistä — to remove lice from
  • French: épouiller — to remove lice from
  • Galician: catar os piollos — to remove lice from
  • German: entlausen — to remove lice from
  • Italian: spidocchiare — to remove lice from
  • Latin: pediculo — to remove lice from
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avluse — to remove lice from
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: avlusa — to remove lice from
  • Portuguese: despiolhar — to remove lice from
  • Portuguese: espiolhar — to remove lice from
  • Romanian: despăduchea — to remove lice from
  • Romanian: păduchea — to remove lice from
  • Russian: вычёсывать вшей (vyčósyvatʹ všej) — to remove lice from
  • Spanish: despiojar — to remove lice from
  • Spanish: espulgar — to remove lice from
  • Sundanese: mundayan — to remove lice from
  • Sundanese: nyiaran — to remove lice from
  • Tagalog: hinguthan — to remove lice from
  • Tagalog: hingutuhan — to remove lice from
  • Tamil: பேன்பார் (pēṉpār) — to remove lice from
  • Walloon: dispûsler — to remove lice from
  • Walloon: spûyter — to remove lice from
  • Welsh: dileuo — to remove lice from
  • Welsh: dihaeddu — to remove lice from