Etymology

vermiculite

V4E1R1M3I1C3U1L1I1T1E1

Today it means: A hydrated silicate mineral which expands on heating; it is used in insulation and as a medium for planting. Full definition →

Latin vermiculus
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromvermiculus“wormlet”
  2. English todayvermiculite

From Latin vermiculus (“wormlet”), for its fibrous nature and tendency to expand into worm-like shapes when heated.

Words from the same roots

Latinvermiculus all →

vermilionvermeilvermicule

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.