different between louse vs loude

English

Etymology

From Middle English lous, lows, lowse, from Old English l?s, from Proto-Germanic *l?s (compare West Frisian lûs, Dutch luis, German Low German Luus, German Laus), from Proto-Indo-European *lewH- (compare Welsh llau (“lice”), Tocharian B luwo, maybe Sanskrit ???? (y?k?)).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /la?s/
• Rhymes: -a?s

Noun

louse (plural lice or louses)

1. A small parasitic wingless insect of the order Psocodea.
2. (colloquial, dated, not usually used in plural form) A contemptible person; one who is deceitful or causes harm.
   • 1946, Joseph Thompson Shaw, The hard-boiled omnibus: early stories from Black Mask (page 388)

     He said: "Thanks, friend; but you're wasting your time. You better warn Crocker. If that louse makes a play for me, he'll get hit with Chicago lightning!"

   • 1949, Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend (song)

     It's then that those louses go back to their spouses. Diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Usage notes

• When used as a term of abuse, the plural is typically louses, though lice is also possible.

Synonyms

• (insect): (North America) cootie
• (contemptible person): maggot, worm

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

louse (third-person singular simple present louses, present participle lousing, simple past and past participle loused)

1. To remove lice from.

Synonyms

• delouse

Translations

Anagrams

• Eolus, Seoul, Soule, eusol, loues, oules, ousel, soule

Middle English

Noun

louse

1. Alternative form of lous

English

Alternative forms

• lood, luid (Scotland)

Etymology

From Middle English loude, lude, from Old English hl?d (“noise, sound, tumult, disturbance, dissension”), from Proto-Germanic *hl?dij? (“sound”), from Proto-Indo-European *?lewe- (“to hear”).

Cognate with Scots lood, luid (“sound, noise, tone, voice”), West Frisian lûd (“sound, voice, vote, say”), Dutch geluid (“sound”), German Laut (“sound”), Swedish ljud (“sound”), Icelandic hljóð (“sound”).

Noun

loude (plural loudes)

1. (obsolete) Sound.

Anagrams

• duelo

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?lou?de?/, [?lo?u?de?(?)]
• Rhymes: -oude
• Syllabification: lou?de

Noun

loude

1. Alternative form of loue

Declension

Anagrams

• luode

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English hl?d

Alternative forms

• loud, lowd, lowde, lud

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lu?d/

Adjective

loude (plural and weak singular loude, comparative loudere)

2. Making a lot of noise or tending to do so; loud.
3. (rare) Hearable; detectable by one's listening.
4. (rare) Obvious, easily detectable or discoverable.

Descendants

• English: loud
• Scots: loud, lood

References

• “l?ud, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-10-01.

Etymology 2

From Old English hl?de, from Proto-Germanic *hl?d?, related to Etymology 1

Alternative forms

• loud, lowd, lowde, lude, lhude, lhoude

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?lu?d(?)/

Adverb

loude (comparative louder)

2. In a way that makes a lot of noise; loudly.
3. (rare) Hearably; in a way that is detectable by one's listening.
4. (rare) Obviously, in a way that is easily detectable or discoverable.

Descendants

• English: loud
• Scots: loud, lood

References

• “l?ude, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-10-01.

Etymology 3

Noun

loude

1. Alternative form of lude