Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
A pestilent or predatory ground-borne animal, especially one that kills or harasses a farmer's animals or crops.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An obnoxious person or troublemaker.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
any usually predatory wild animal considered undesirable; e.g., coyote
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: varment
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: animal, animate being, beast, brute, creature, fauna
noun
an irritating or obnoxious person
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: vermin
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bad person
History
Dialectal form of vermin, derived from Latin vermis (“worm”), c. 1530–1540s. Perhaps influenced by Latin vargus (“bandit, outlaw, scoundrel”), though the pronunciation in /ɑː(ɹ)/ is more likely due to the same lowering of /ɛr/ > /ar/ found in carve < Middle English kerven and starve < Middle English sterven. The final syllable is probably altered after -ment; compare parchment < Middle English parchemyn.
Across languages
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
