Cootie Meaning in English
word
ˈkuːti
KOO-tee
kˈuːti
KOO-tee
Definition
A childish term for an imaginary germ or bug, often used in playground games. Sometimes used to refer to head lice.
Usage & Nuances
Informal, childish, often playful or used in teasing. Common phrases: 'cooties' (plural), 'she has cooties'. In American culture, not a medical term; often means imaginary germs. Can occasionally refer to real lice among children.
Spanish: piojo (infantil) - cootie (ficticio)Portuguese (BR): piolho (infantil) - cootie (imaginário)Portuguese (PT): piolho (infantil) - cootie (imaginário)Chinese (Simplified): 臭虫（儿童用语）- 假想的细菌Chinese (Traditional): 臭蟲（兒童用語）- 假想的細菌Hindi: कॉटी (बच्चों की भाषा, कल्पित कीटाणु)Arabic: قملة (كلمة أطفال) - جرثومة خياليةBengali: কুটি - কাল্পনিক জীবাণুRussian: коути - воображаемый микробJapanese: クーティー - ばい菌（子供が使う言葉）Vietnamese: vi trùng tưởng tượng - rận (trẻ em hay dùng)Korean: 쿠티 - 상상 속 세균Turkish: cootie - hayali mikropUrdu: کوٹی - خیالی جراثیمIndonesian: cootie - kuman khayalan
Example Sentences
He says girls have cooties.
basic
Don't touch me, you have cooties!
basic
The kids pretend to give each other cooties during recess.
basic
Relax, there's no such thing as cooties.
natural
He avoided her like she had cooties.
natural
When I was in second grade, everyone thought catching cooties was the worst thing ever.
natural