1. an imaginary contagious condition that children playfully claim to catch from members of the opposite sex
Usage: informal; children’s slang
2. body lice or other small parasitic insects
Usage: informal; dated

Examples

• The boys ran away screaming that the girls had cooties.
• She refused to sit next to him because she said he had cooties.
• The playground game involved avoiding cooties from the opposite gender.
• During recess, the children played a game where touching someone gave you cooties.
• The soldiers complained about cooties in the trenches.
• He scratched constantly, worried he might have picked up cooties.