noun
vermin
VUR-min/ˈvɜːrmɪn/
Small animals regarded as harmful pests.
Vermin gnaw through the grain sack and eat the spilled grain.
Etymology
The ancestor named worms, mites, and other troublesome creatures. English broadened this to destructive or parasitic pests, then applied the same contemptuous label to people.
In context
Our only refuge was our billet, a most horrible and loathsome place, a cellar alive with cockroaches and other vermin.
More examples
- Keep food in sealed containers to avoid attracting vermin.
- The inspector found signs of vermin in the restaurant's basement.
- Wire mesh keeps vermin out of the chicken coop.
Forms
vermin
Similar words
- pests
- Broader term for organisms that cause damage or annoyance.