蝷 (lì) - Louse — a parasitic insect that infests the & also refers to small, troublesome insects.

蝷Tone 4

lì ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

蝷 · lì

Louse — a parasitic insect that infests the hair or skin of humans and animals;

also refers to small, troublesome insects.

Louse — a parasitic insect that infests thealso refers to small, troublesome insects.

Usage highlights

Head louseBody lousePubic louseLouse eggLouse infestationLouse comb

Synonyms

  • 虱— louse (more common variant)
  • 蚤— flea

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Head lice infestation is common in children (头蝷).
  • The dog was scratching due to fleas and lice (跳蝷).
  • Body lice can spread disease (体蝷).
  • Louse eggs are called nits (蝷卵).

Collocations

  • Head louse(头蝷)
  • Body louse(体蝷)
  • Pubic louse(阴蝷)
  • Louse egg(蝷卵)
  • Louse infestation(生蝷)
  • Louse comb(篦蝷)

Idioms

  • Like lice in a bald head — obvious and troublesome(秃头上的蝷子)
  • To nitpick — find fault in small details(吹毛求蝷)
  • To scratch where it itches — address the real problem(搔着痒处，捉着蝷子)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with poor hygiene and poverty in Chinese culture.
  • In traditional medicine, certain lice were believed to have medicinal properties.
  • The character appears in idioms describing trivial but persistent annoyances.

FAQ