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Origin and history of vermicular

vermicular(adj.)

1650s, "full of vermicules," from Medieval Latin vermicularis, from Latin vermiculus "little worm," from vermis "worm" (see vermi-). By 1712 as "like a worm in form or movement; pertaining to or resembling worms."

Vermiculate (adj.) is from c. 1600; vermiculose from 1707. Vermiculous "infested with worms" is from mid-15c.

also from 1650s

Entries linking to vermicular

vermiculation(n.)

1610s, "fact of being worm-eaten or infested with worms," from Latin vermiculationem (nominative vermiculatio), "a being worm-eaten" (of plants), noun of action from past-participle stem of vermiculari, from vermiculus "little worm" (see vermicular).

It is attested by 1866 as "worm-like figures or tracery." By 1891 as "action or movement of a worm." A verb vermiculate is attested by 1630s as "become full of worms," by 1650s as "ornament with winding and wavy lines."

vermi-

word-forming element of Latin origin, "of, pertaining to, full of, or resembling worms," from Latin vermis "a worm," from PIE *urmi- "snake, worm" (de Vaan), source also of English worm, and according to Watkins from root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend."

*wer-(2)

Proto-Indo-European root forming words meaning "to turn, bend."

It might form all or part of: adverse; anniversary; avert; awry; controversy; converge; converse (adj.) "exact opposite;" convert; diverge; divert; evert; extroversion; extrovert; gaiter; introrse; introvert; invert; inward; malversation; obverse; peevish; pervert; prose; raphe; reverberate; revert; rhabdomancy; rhapsody; rhombus; ribald; sinistrorse; stalwart; subvert; tergiversate; transverse; universe; verbena; verge (v.1) "tend, incline;" vermeil; vermicelli; vermicular; vermiform; vermin; versatile; verse (n.) "poetry;" version; verst; versus; vertebra; vertex; vertigo; vervain; vortex; -ward; warp; weird; worm; worry; worth (adj.) "significant, valuable, of value;" worth (v.) "to come to be;" wrangle; wrap; wrath; wreath; wrench; wrest; wrestle; wriggle; wring; wrinkle; wrist; writhe; wrong; wroth; wry.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit vartate "turns round, rolls;" Avestan varet- "to turn;" Hittite hurki- "wheel;" Greek rhatane "stirrer, ladle;" Latin vertere (frequentative versare) "to turn, turn back, be turned; convert, transform, translate; be changed," versus "turned toward or against;" Old Church Slavonic vrŭteti "to turn, roll," Russian vreteno "spindle, distaff;" Lithuanian verčiu, versti "to turn;" German werden, Old English weorðan "to become;" Old English -weard "toward," originally "turned toward," weorthan "to befall," wyrd "fate, destiny," literally "what befalls one;" Welsh gwerthyd "spindle, distaff;" Old Irish frith "against."

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    Middle English iron, iren, yron, from Old English iren, variant (with rhotacism of -s-) of isen, later form of isern, isærn "the metal iron; an iron weapon or instrument," from Proto-Germanic *isarn (source also of Old Saxon isarn, Old Frisian isern, Old Norse isarn, Middle Dutch
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