vermicelli

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US/vəɹməˈsɛli/US/vəɹməˈt͡ʃɛli/

noun

Long, slender pasta, similar to spaghetti, only thinner.

UncommonScrabble 17

Meanings

nounvermicelli (usually uncountable, plural vermicellis)

plural vermicellis

  1. uncountableusuallyLong, slender pasta, similar to spaghetti, only thinner.

    A favourite old cookbook (and a pile of parsley to use up) inspire this simple salsa verde – parsley, anchovies, capers, olives – in a fairytale tangle of vermicelli[.]

    2021 May 10, Rachel Roddy, “Vermicelli alla Sophia Loren: Rachel Roddy’s recipe for pasta with parsley pesto”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
    1 more example

    They talked of the experiments of Dr. Darwin, (I speak not of what the Doctor really did, or said that he did, but, as more to my purpose, of what was then spoken of as having been done by him,) who preserved a piece of vermicelli in a glass case, till by some extraordinary means it began to move with voluntary motion.

    1831 October 15, Mary W[ollstonecraft] Shelley, “Introduction”, in Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus (Standard Novels; IX), 3rd edition, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], published 31 October 1831, →OCLC, pages ix–x
  2. uncountableusuallyAny type of long, thin noodles, as in rice vermicelli.

    Super-thin rice noodles, or vermicelli, are de rigueur here, but as with pad thai the secret is all in the preparation.

    2013 October 2, Felicity Cloake, “How to make perfect Singapore noodles”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
  3. UKuncountableusuallyChocolate sprinkles.

Origin

  1. Latinvermis
  2. Italianvermicelli
  3. Englishvermicelli

From Italian vermicelli, plural of vermicello (“little worm”), from verme (“worm”), from Latin vermis + -cello (“diminutive suffix”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic إِطْرِيَة, شُعَيْرِيَّة
  • إِطْرِيَة (ʔiṭriya)long, slender pasta
  • شُعَيْرِيَّة (šuʕayriyya)long, slender pasta
Bulgarian фиде́
  • фиде́ (fidé)long, slender pasta
Catalan fideu de cabell d'àngel
  • fideu de cabell d'àngellong, slender pasta
Chinese Cantonese 米粉, 麵線 /面线
  • 米粉long, slender pasta
  • 麵線 /面线long, slender pasta
Chinese Mandarin 米粉, 掛麵 /挂面
  • 米粉 (mǐfěn)long, slender pasta
  • 掛麵 /挂面 (guàmiàn)long, slender pasta
  • 麵條 /面条 (miàntiáo)long, slender pasta
Czech vlasové nudle
  • vlasové nudlelong, slender pasta
Dutch vermicelli, mihoen
  • vermicellilong, slender pasta
  • mihoenlong, slender pasta
Esperanto vermiĉelo
  • vermiĉelolong, slender pasta
Estonian vermišellid
  • vermišellidlong, slender pasta
Finnish vermiselli
  • vermisellilong, slender pasta
French vermicelle, vermicelles
  • vermicellelong, slender pasta
  • vermicelleslong, slender pasta
German Vermicelli, Fadennudeln
  • Vermicellilong, slender pasta
  • Fadennudelnlong, slender pasta
Greek φιδές, μαλλιά αγγέλου
  • φιδές (fidés)long, slender pasta
  • μαλλιά αγγέλου (malliá angélou)long, slender pasta
Hindi सेँवई, सेवँई
  • सेँवई (sẽvaī)long, slender pasta
  • सेवँई (sevãī)long, slender pasta
  • सेमई (semaī)long, slender pasta
  • सेविका (sevikā)long, slender pasta
Hungarian cérnametélt
  • cérnametéltlong, slender pasta
Irish veirmisilí
  • veirmisilílong, slender pasta
Italian vermicello, vermicelli
  • vermicellolong, slender pasta
  • vermicellilong, slender pasta
Japanese ヴェルミチェッリ, 麺類
  • ヴェルミチェッリ (verumicherri)long, slender pasta
  • 麺類 (menrui)long, slender pasta
Korean 베르미첼리
  • 베르미첼리 (bereumichelli)long, slender pasta
Lithuanian vermišeliai
  • vermišeliailong, slender pasta
Malay bihun
  • bihunlong, slender pasta
Persian ورمیشل
  • ورمیشل (vermišel)long, slender pasta
Polish wermiszel
  • wermiszellong, slender pasta
Portuguese vermicelli, aletria
  • vermicellilong, slender pasta
  • aletrialong, slender pasta
Romanian fidea
  • fidealong, slender pasta
Russian вермише́ль, лапша́
  • вермише́ль (vermišélʹ)long, slender pasta
  • лапша́ (lapšá)long, slender pasta
Spanish vermicelli
  • vermicellilong, slender pasta
Swedish vermicelli
  • vermicellilong, slender pasta
Turkish erişte
  • eriştelong, slender pasta
Ukrainian верміше́ль, ло́кшина
  • верміше́ль (vermišélʹ)long, slender pasta
  • ло́кшина (lókšyna)long, slender pasta
  • лапша́ (lapšá)long, slender pasta
Vietnamese mì sợi nhỏ, bún sợi nhỏ
  • mì sợi nhỏlong, slender pasta
  • bún sợi nhỏlong, slender pasta
Cite this entry
APA

vermicelli. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vermicelli

MLA

“vermicelli.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vermicelli. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vermicelli,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vermicelli.

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