Varmint
/ˈvɑːr.mɪnt/noun
A troublesome or objectionable animal or person, especially a pest.
Did you know?Varmint is a dialectal variant of *vermin*, and both descend from Latin *vermen* / *vermis* meaning “worm,” a root that once named creeping, contaminating creatures before becoming an insult for pests and lowly beings.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
vermis
“worm”
Late Latin
Latin
vermen
“a worm or creeping creature”
Old French
Old French
vermin
“vermin, noxious creatures”
Middle English
English
varmynte / varmint
“a pest, nuisance, or troublesome creature”
Modern English
English
varmint
“a troublesome animal or person”