Refine this word faster
Varmint
//ˈvɑːmɪnt// noun
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A pestilent or predatory ground-borne animal, especially one that kills or harasses a farmer's animals or crops.
- 2 any usually predatory wild animal considered undesirable; e.g., coyote wordnet
- 3 An obnoxious person or troublemaker. broadly
"You'd be but a fierce young hound indeed, if at your time of life you could help to hunt a wretched warmint, hunted as near death and dunghill as this poor wretched warmint is!"
- 4 an irritating or obnoxious person wordnet
Etymology
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.
See also for "varmint"
Next best steps
Mini challenge
Unscramble this word: varmint