# varmint

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈvɑːmɪnt/ · frequency rank #80,091

## Definitions
1. A pestilent or predatory ground-borne animal, especially one that kills or harasses a farmer's animals or crops.
2. An obnoxious person or troublemaker.

## Etymology
Dialectal form of vermin, derived from Latin vermis (“worm”), c. 1530–1540s. Perhaps influenced by Latin vargus (“bandit, outlaw, scoundrel”), though the pronunciation in /ɑː(ɹ)/ is more likely due to the same lowering of /ɛr/ > /ar/ found in carve < Middle English kerven and starve < Middle English sterven. The final syllable is probably altered after -ment; compare parchment < Middle English parchemyn.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/varmint