booklouse

B3O1O1K5L1O1U1S1E1

noun

Any of the small insects that feed on bookbindings, especially those of the order Psocodea.

Similar
bookmitebook lousedeathwatchLiposcelis divinatorius
OriginEnglish louse ← Middle English bok ← Old English bōc →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

nounbooklouse (plural booklice)

plural booklice

  1. Any of the small insects that feed on bookbindings, especially those of the order Psocodea.

    Synonyms: bookmite

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny of the small insects that feed on bookbindings, especially those of the order Psocodea.

Similar
bookmite

More synonyms by meaning

nounminute wingless psocopterous insects injurious to books and papers

Similar
book lousedeathwatchLiposcelis divinatorius
Broader
psocopterous insect
Also see
book mitebook-scorpiondeathwatch

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂ǵosder.?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂g-der.?
  3. Proto-Germanic*bōks
  4. Proto-West Germanic*bōk
  5. Old Englishbōc
  6. Middle Englishbok
  7. Englishbook
  8. Englishlouse
  9. Englishbooklouse

From book + louse. So called because they feed on bookbinding glue.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

booklouse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/booklouse

MLA

“booklouse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/booklouse. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “booklouse,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/booklouse.

Source: booklouse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.