vermin

C2 Topic:Animals

US /ˈvɝmɪn/ UK /ˈvɜːmɪn/ See IPA manual

Freq #12885

Meanings

1

noun
Small harmful animals or insects, such as rats, mice, or fleas, that are hard to control.

The old barn was overrun with vermin.
2

noun
A nasty, offensive person regarded with contempt.

He called the swindlers vermin who preyed on the elderly.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms verminerverminicide

Related forms varmint

Etymology

From Middle English vermyn, vermyne, from Old French vermine, from Vulgar Latin *verminum (“vermin”), collective noun formed from Latin vermis (“worm”). Compare vermiculate and vermivorous. See also worm.

vermyn Middle English vermine Old French *verminum la-vul vermis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Animals

External links

# vermin

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈvɝmɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈvɜːmɪn/
**Frequency rank:** 12885

## Meanings
1. Small harmful animals or insects, such as rats, mice, or fleas, that are hard to control.
2. A nasty, offensive person regarded with contempt.

## Examples
- The old barn was overrun with vermin.
- He called the swindlers vermin who preyed on the elderly.

## Derived Forms
- verminer
- verminicide

## Related Forms
- varmint

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: vermyn
- Root: vermine
- Root: *verminum
- Root: vermis

## Etymology
From Middle English vermyn, vermyne, from Old French vermine, from Vulgar Latin *verminum (“vermin”), collective noun formed from Latin vermis (“worm”). Compare vermiculate and vermivorous. See also worm.

## AI Etymology
Vermin is from Middle English vermyn, vermyne, from Old French vermine, from Vulgar Latin *verminum (“vermin”), collective noun formed from Latin vermis (“worm”). Compare vermiculate and vermivorous. See also worm. Important recorded forms include vermyn (Middle English), vermine (Old French), *verminum (la-vul), and vermis (Latin). Current senses include small harmful animals or insects, such as rats, mice, or fleas, that are hard to control and a nasty, offensive person regarded with contempt. The wider family includes derived forms such as verminer and verminicide; related words such as varmint.

## Topics
- Animals

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