kermes

K5E1R1M3E1S1
US/ˈkɝ.miz/

noun

Any of several insects of the genus Kermes.

OriginFrench kermès ← Medieval Latin cremesinus ← Arabic قِرْمِز →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

nounkermes (countable and uncountable, plural kermes)

alternative chermes · alternative chermez · alternative kermez

  1. countableAny of several insects of the genus Kermes.
  2. uncountableA crimson dye made from the crushed bodies of these insects.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-Iranian*kŕ̥miš“worm”
  2. Arabicقِرْمِز
  3. Medieval Latincremesinus
  4. Frenchkermès
  5. Englishkermes

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.

More words from French, Medieval Latin, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κόκκος
  • κόκκος (kókkos)the insect or the dye — see also carmine
Hindi किरिमदाना, क़िरमिज़
  • किरिमदाना (kirimdānā)the insect or the dye — see also carmine
  • क़िरमिज़ (qirmiz)the insect or the dye — see also carmine
  • क़िरमिज़ी (qirmizī)the insect or the dye — see also carmine
  • किरमिजी (kirmijī)the insect or the dye — see also carmine
Polish alkiermes
  • alkiermesthe insect or the dye — see also carmine
Spanish quermes
  • quermesthe insect or the dye — see also carmine
Turkish kırmız
  • kırmızthe insect or the dye — see also carmine

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

RemkesMesker
Cite this entry
APA

kermes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kermes

MLA

“kermes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kermes. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kermes,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kermes.

Source: kermes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.