kermes en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈkɝ.miz/ (US)
Etymology
PIE word *kʷŕ̥mis First attested ca. 1600, from French kermès, from Medieval Latin cremesinus (compare Italian chermes, Spanish carmes), from Arabic قِرْمِز (qirmiz) (whence also Portuguese quermes, alquermes), from a Persian word meaning “worm-colored” (compare modern Persian قرمز (qermez)), ultimately Proto-Indo-Iranian *kŕ̥miš (“worm”), possibly via borrowing from a Sanskrit formation. Related to carmine and crimson. For the semantic development, compare vermilion from Latin vermis (“worm”) and its cognates.
Meanings
- (countable) Any of several insects of the genus Kermes.
- (uncountable) A crimson dye made from the crushed bodies of these insects.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| kermes | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| chermez | alternative | lexicographic | |
| kermez | alternative | lexicographic | |
| chermes | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
kermesic acid · kermes mineral · kermes oak · kermesite
Descendants
Translations (8)
hi किरिमदाना (the insect or the dye — see also carmine) · grc κόκκος (the insect or the dye — see also carmine) · hi किरमिजी (the insect or the dye — see also carmine) · es quermes (the insect or the dye — see also carmine) · pl alkiermes (the insect or the dye — see also carmine) · hi क़िरमिज़ी (the insect or the dye — see also carmine) · hi क़िरमिज़ (the insect or the dye — see also carmine) · tr kırmız (the insect or the dye — see also carmine)