lice

Lice \Lice\ (l[imac]s), n.;
   pl. of {Louse}.
   [1913 Webster] licenced
   licence
    

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.] (Zool.)
   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
      ({Pediculus vestimenti}), and the crab louse ({Phthirius
      pubis}), and many others. See {Crab louse}, {Dog louse},
      {Cattle louse}, etc., under {Crab}, {Dog}, etc.
      [1913 Webster]

   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}.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Any one of the numerous species of aphids, or plant lice.
      See {Aphid}.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Any small crustacean parasitic on fishes. See
      {Branchiura}, and {Ichthvophthira}.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: The term is also applied to various other parasites;
         as, the whale louse, beelouse, horse louse.
         [1913 Webster]

   {Louse fly} (Zool.), a parasitic dipterous insect of the
      group Pupipara. Some of them are wingless, as the bee
      louse.

   {Louse mite} (Zool.), 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.
      [1913 Webster]
    

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.