vermin

ver·min

Use vermin in a sentence

An example of vermin is this flea.

noun

Vermin are animals, especially small ones, that are destructive pests.

An example of vermin are fleas.

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"vermin." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/VERMIN>.

APA Style

vermin. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/VERMIN

vermin

noun

pl. -·min

[pl.] various insects, rodents, or other small animals regarded as pests because destructive, disease-carrying, etc., as flies, lice, rats, or weasels
[pl.]Brit. birds or other animals that kill game
1. a vile, loathsome person
2. [pl.] such persons collectively

Origin of vermin

Middle English from Old French vermine from Classical Latin vermis, a worm

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MLA Style

"vermin." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/VERMIN>.

APA Style

vermin. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/VERMIN

vermin

plural noun

Various small animals, such as rats or cockroaches, that are destructive, annoying, or injurious to health.
Animals that prey on farm animals or game or that destroy crops.
People considered loathsome or repulsive.

Origin of vermin

Middle English from Old French from Vulgar Latin vermīnum from Latin vermis worm ; see wer-² in Indo-European roots.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"vermin." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/VERMIN>.

APA Style

vermin. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/VERMIN

Noun

(countable and uncountable, plural vermin or vermins)

(countable or uncountable) Any one of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance. [from c. 1300]
The area was plagued by all sorts of vermin: fleas, lice, mice, and rats to name a few.
(countable or uncountable) Animals that prey on game, such as foxes or weasels.
(countable or uncountable) Obnoxious, or mean and offensive person or people. [from 1560s]
Bring these gypsy vermin to the Palace of Justice.

Origin

From Norman vermin and Old French vermin, from Vulgar Latin *verminum (“vermin"), collective noun formed from Latin vermis (“worm"). See also worm.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.