Vermicelli
/ˌvɜːr.mɪˈtʃɛl.i/noun
Thin pasta strands similar to spaghetti but shorter and finer.
Did you know?Vermicelli is the Italian diminutive of vermicello, from Latin vermiculus, a “little worm,” and the same ancient root also gave English words like vermin and worm.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wermi-
“worm”
Latin
Latin
vermis
“worm”
Late Latin
Latin
vermiculus
“little worm”
Italian
Italian
vermicelli
“little worms; thin pasta strands”
16th Century
English
vermicelli
“thin pasta made in slender strands”
Explore more surprising origins