Vermin and Vermicelli Both Mean Worms
Vermin are troublesome small animals. The Latin root means worm, and the same root names the thin pasta called vermicelli.
Vermin are small animals regarded as pests. The Latin *vermis* means worm, and it has produced an unexpected pair in English: *vermin*, the pests, and *vermicelli*, the pasta — which is Italian for little worms. The same root gives *vermiform*, worm-shaped, as in the vermiform appendix.
- Pest animals. *Rats and other vermin.*
- A term of abuse for people. *Dehumanising language calling people vermin.*
- Verminous — infested. *Verminous bedding.*
- Vermicelli — very thin pasta. *A nest of vermicelli.*
- Vermiform — worm-shaped. *The vermiform appendix.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | vermin | Controlling vermin. |
| Plural | vermin | Unchanged in the plural. |
| Adjective | verminous | Verminous conditions. |
| Latin | vermis | A worm. |
| Related | vermicelli | Vermicelli soup. |
- The building was overrun with vermin.Pest control.
- Vermin takes a plural verb: vermin are.Grammar.
- Vermicelli means little worms in Italian.Etymology.
A word to use carefully
- Applied to animals — a standard term in pest control and farming
- Applied to people — a long history in propaganda and persecution
- Dehumanising language has repeatedly preceded violence against groups
- Historians and linguists treat vermin metaphors as a recognised warning sign
- The animal sense is neutral; the human one never is
Old French *vermin*, from Latin *vermis*, a worm. English has used it since the 1300s, and the abusive sense for people is nearly as old.
Is vermin singular or plural?
It is treated as plural: vermin are a problem. There is no separate plural form.
Are vermin and vermicelli related?
Yes. Both come from Latin vermis, a worm. Vermicelli means little worms in Italian.