vermin
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English
Etymology
From Middle English vermyn, vermyne, from Old French vermine, from Vulgar Latin *verminum (“vermin”), collective noun formed from Latin vermis (“worm”). See also worm.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈvɝmɪn/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈvɜːmɪn/
Audio (Southern England) (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)mɪn
Noun
vermin (countable and uncountable, plural vermin or vermins)
- Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance.
- The area was plagued by all sorts of vermin: fleas, lice, mice, and rats to name a few.
- 1903, Harry de Windt, “The Great Lena Post Road”, in From Paris to New York by Land, New York, N.Y.: Frederick Warne & Co. , published 1904, →OCLC, part I (Europe and Asia), page 27:
- Vermin was everywhere; night and day it crawled gaily over the walls and ceiling, about our bodies, and into our very food, and, although the subject did not interest us, a naturalist would have delighted in the ever-changing varieties of insect life.
- An animal that preys on game, such as a fox or a weasel.
- An obnoxious or mean and offensive person.
- Bring these vermin to the Palace of Justice.
Usage notes
- The singular form "a vermin" is now rarely encountered, and the word is generally used as a plural.
Derived terms
Translations
Any of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance
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An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person
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