# cootie

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkuːti/ · frequency rank #96,886

## Definitions
1. A louse (Pediculus humanus).
2. Any germ or contaminant, real or imagined, especially from the opposite gender (for pre-pubescent children).
3. A nest-building female American coot (counterpart to cooter).
4. A sideswiper, a type of telegraph key.

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

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cootie