Definition of KERMES

kermes

Plural: kermes

Noun

  • A red dye obtained from scale insects, or the insects themselves.
  • Any of several insects of the genus Kermes.
  • A crimson dye made from the crushed bodies of these insects.

Examples

  • Playing KERMES for 15 points, he brought a splash of color and strategy to the board.

Origin / 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.

Scrabble Score: 12

kermes: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
kermes: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
kermes: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

kermes: valid Words With Friends Word