vermin

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)

(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 vermin to the Palace of Justice.

Derived terms

verminicide

Translations

Any one of various common types of small insects or animals which cause harm and annoyance

Arabic: خَشَاش‎ m (ḵašāš)
Bashkir: ҡоротҡос (qorotqos)
Bulgarian: вреди́тел (bg) (vredítel), гадина (bg) f (gadina)
Catalan: menjança (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 害蟲／害虫 (zh) (hàichóng), 寄生蟲／寄生虫 (zh) (jìshēngchóng)
Czech: havěť (cs) f
Danish: skadedyr (da) n
Dutch: ongedierte (nl) n
Esperanto: fiinsekto
Finnish: tuhoeläin (fi), tuholainen (fi), syöpäläinen (fi)
French: vermine (fr) f
Georgian: მავნებელი (mavnebeli), პარაზიტი (ṗaraziṭi)
German: Ungeziefer (de) n, Schädlinge (de) pl, Gewürm (de) n
Hebrew: שֶׁרֶץ‎ (he) m (shéretz)
Hungarian: kártevő (hu), élősdi (hu), féreg (hu)
Irish: míolra m
Italian: please add this translation if you can
Japanese: 害虫 (ja) (がいちゅう, gaichū), 害獣 (ja) (がいじゅう, gaijū)
Korean: 해충 (ko) (haechung)
Middle English: vermyn
Persian: حشره موذی‎ (hašare-ye muzi) (insects only), جک و جانور‎ (jak-o-jânevar) (informal)
Polish: szkodnik (pl) m
Portuguese: vermina (pt) f
Russian: вреди́тель (ru) m (vredítelʹ), парази́т (ru) m (parazít), гад (ru) m (gad)
Slovak: háveď f
Spanish: alimaña (es) f, bicho (es) m
Swedish: skadedjur (sv) n, ohyra (sv) c
Vilamovian: wiym n
Volapük: minimil (vo), (collective singular) minimilem (vo), (animal) dämabanim, (insect) dämabanäsäk
Welsh: pryf (cy) m, pryfed (cy) pl

An obnoxious, or mean and offensive person

Bulgarian: гад (bg) f (gad)
Catalan: gentola (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 歹徒 (zh)
Finnish: kiusankappale (fi), nilkki (fi)
French: vermine (fr) f
German: Gesindel (de) n, Pack (de) n
Persian: اراذل‎ (fa) (arâzel) (plural)
Portuguese: verme (pt) m
Russian: гад (ru) m (gad), подо́нок (ru) m (podónok), гни́да (ru) f (gnída)
Spanish: gentuza (es) f, sabandija (es) f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Estonian: ^{(please verify)} kahjur (et), ^{(please verify)} söödik
Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} vermina
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} bicho (es)
Volapük: ^{(please verify)} vumem

Anagrams

Mervin