Kermes Definition

kûrmēz
noun
The dried bodies of the females of certain soft scale insects (genus Kermes), used for making a purple-red dye.
Webster's New World
This dye.
Webster's New World
A small, evergreen Mediterranean oak (Quercus coccifera) on which the kermes insects are found.
Webster's New World
pronoun

A taxonomic genus within the family Kermesidae — the kermes insects.

Wiktionary

Origin of Kermes

  • French kermès short for alkermès from Arabic al-qirmiz the kermes probably from Sanskrit kṛmi-ja- (red dye) produced by worms kwr̥mi- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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