kermes
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kermes
- /ˈkɝ.miz/ US
Where it comes from
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.
noun kermes · chermes · chermez · kermez
- Any of several insects of the genus Kermes.
- A crimson dye made from the crushed bodies of these insects.
Translations
Talk about this word "kermes." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/kermes. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. kermes. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/kermes "kermes." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/kermes.Cite this
@misc{kermes_2026,
title = {kermes},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/kermes},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
