vermin

3 definitions found

vermin - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  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.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the
              earth, and vermin, and worms, and fowls. --Acts x.
                                                    12. (Geneva
                                                    Bible).
        [1913 Webster]
  
              This crocodile is a mischievous fourfooted beast, a
              dangerous vermin, used to both elements. --Holland.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A noxious or mischievous animal; especially, noxious
        little animals or insects, collectively, as squirrels,
        rats, mice, worms, flies, lice, bugs, etc. "Cruel hounds
        or some foul vermin." --Chaucer.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Great injuries these vermin, mice and rats, do in
              the field.                            --Mortimer.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              They disdain such vermin when the mighty boar of the
              forest . . . is before them.          --Burke.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Hence, in contempt, noxious human beings.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              You are my prisoners, base vermin.    --Hudibras.
        [1913 Webster]

vermin - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  vermin
      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"

vermin - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  56 Moby Thesaurus words for "vermin":
     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