To remove lice from someone's hair or clothing, especially in a military context.
From de- (removing) + louse (a parasitic insect). The prefix de- meaning 'to remove' was combined with louse in the early 20th century, becoming especially common in World War I military slang.
During WWI and WWII, armies set up massive 'delousing stations' where millions of soldiers were stripped, fumigated, and decontaminated—it was considered as important to the war effort as treating wounds.
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