Adjacent Words

Vermin definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VERM'IN, n. sing, and plu; used chiefly in the plural. [L. vermes, worms.]
1. All sorts of small animals which are destructive to grain or other produce; all noxious little animals or insects, as squirrels, rats, mice, worms, grubs, flies, etc.
These vermin do great injuries in the field.
2. Used of noxious human beings in contempt; as base vermin.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an irritating or obnoxious person [syn: vermin, varmint]
2: any of various small animals or insects that are pests; e.g. cockroaches or rats; "cereals must be protected from mice and other vermin"; "he examined the child's head for vermin"; "boys in the village have probably been shooting vermin"

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural vermin) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French vermin, vermine, from verm worm, from Latin vermis Date: 14th century 1. a. small common harmful or objectionable animals (as lice or fleas) that are difficult to control b. birds and mammals that prey on game c. animals that at a particular time and place compete (as for food) with humans or domestic animals 2. an offensive person

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (usu. treated as pl.) 1 mammals and birds injurious to game, crops, etc., e.g. foxes, rodents, and noxious insects. 2 parasitic worms or insects. 3 vile persons. Derivatives: verminous adj. Etymology: ME f. OF vermin, -ine ult. f. L vermis worm

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vermin Ver"min, n. sing. & pl.; used chiefly as plural. [OE. vermine, F. vermine, from L. vermis a worm; cf. LL. vermen a worm, L. verminosus full of worms. See Vermicular, Worm.] 1. An animal, in general. [Obs.] Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and vermin, and worms, and fowls. --Acts x. 12. (Geneva Bible). This crocodile is a mischievous fourfooted beast, a dangerous vermin, used to both elements. --Holland. 2. A noxious or mischievous animal; especially, noxious little animals or insects, collectively, as squirrels, rats, mice, flies, lice, bugs, etc. ``Cruel hounds or some foul vermin.'' --Chaucer. Great injuries these vermin, mice and rats, do in the field. --Mortimer. They disdain such vermin when the mighty boar of the forest . . . is before them. --Burke. 3. Hence, in contempt, noxious human beings. You are my prisoners, base vermin. --Hudibras.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Vermin are small animals such as rats and mice which cause problems to humans by carrying disease and damaging crops or food. N-PLURAL

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. sing. and pl. 1. Noxious animals (of small size). 2. Off-scourings, riff-raff, off-scum, rabble, scum.

Moby Thesaurus

amphibian, animal, aquatic, beast, biped, canine, cannibal, carnivore, cattle, chaff, cosmopolite, cur, dog, dregs, dregs of society, feline, gnawer, herbivore, hound, hyena, insect, insectivore, invertebrate, mammal, mammalian, marsupial, marsupialian, mongrel, offscourings, offscum, omnivore, pig, polecat, primate, quadruped, raff, reptile, riffraff, rodent, rubbish, ruminant, scavenger, scum, serpent, skunk, snake, sordes, swine, swinish multitude, trash, ungulate, varmint, vertebrate, viper, whelp, worm