The name was used in a still wider sense by Linnæus and his followers. (b) A more restricted group,
comprising only the helminths and closely allied orders.
Vermetid
(Ver"me*tid) n. (Zoöl.) Any species of vermetus.
Vermetus
(||Ver*me"tus) n. [NL., from L. vermis worm.] (Zoöl.) Any one of many species of marine
gastropods belonging to Vermetus and allied genera, of the family Vermetidæ. Their shells are regularly
spiral when young, but later in life the whorls become separate, and the shell is often irregularly bent
and contorted like a worm tube.
Vermicelli
(Ver`mi*cel"li) n. [It., pl. of vermicello, literally, a little worm, dim. of verme a worm, L. vermis.
See Worm, and cf. Vermicule, Vermeil.] The flour of a hard and small-grained wheat made into
dough, and forced through small cylinders or pipes till it takes a slender, wormlike form, whence the
Italian name. When the paste is made in larger tubes, it is called macaroni.
Vermicide
(Ver"mi*cide) n. [L. vermis a worm + caedere to kill.] A medicine which destroys intestinal
worms; a worm killer. Pereira.
Vermicious
(Ver*mi"cious) a. [L. vermis a worm.] Of or pertaining to worms; wormy.
Vermicular
(Ver*mic"u*lar) a. [L. vermiculus a little worm, dim. of vermis a worm: cf. F. vermiculaire.
See Vermicelli.] Of or pertaining to a worm or worms; resembling a worm; shaped like a worm; especially,
resembling the motion or track of a worm; as, the vermicular, or peristaltic, motion of the intestines. See
Peristaltic. "A twisted form vermicular." Cowper.
Vermiculate
(Ver*mic"u*late) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vermiculated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Vermiculating.] [L.
vermiculatus inlaid so as to resemble the tracks of worms, p. p. of vermiculari to be full of worms, vermiculus
a little worm. See Vermicular.] To form or work, as by inlaying, with irregular lines or impressions
resembling the tracks of worms, or appearing as if formed by the motion of worms.
Vermiculate
(Ver*mic"u*late) a.
1. Wormlike in shape; covered with wormlike elevations; marked with irregular fine lines of color, or with
irregular wavy impressed lines like worm tracks; as, a vermiculate nut.
2. Crawling or creeping like a worm; hence, insinuating; sophistical. "Vermiculate questions." Bacon. "Vermiculate
logic." R. Choate.
Vermiculated
(Ver*mic"u*la`ted) a. Made or marked with irregular wavy lines or impressions; vermiculate.
Vermiculated work, or Vermicular work (Arch.), rustic work so wrought as to have the appearance
of convoluted worms, or of having been eaten into by, or covered with tracks of, worms. Gwilt.
Vermiculation
(Ver*mic`u*la"tion) n. [L. vermiculatio a being worm-eaten.]
1. The act or operation of moving in the manner of a worm; continuation of motion from one part to another; as,
the vermiculation, or peristaltic motion, of the intestines.
2. The act of vermiculating, or forming or inlaying so as to resemble the motion, track, or work of a worm.
3. Penetration by worms; the state of being wormeaten.
4. (Zoöl.) A very fine wavy crosswise color marking, or a patch of such markings, as on the feathers of
birds.
