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KERMES
Etymology
Noun
kermes (plural kermes)
(countable) Any of several insects of the genus Kermes.
(uncountable) A crimson dye made from the crushed bodies of these insects.
Anagrams
• Remkes
Source: Wiktionary
Ker"mes, n. Etym: [Ar. & Per. girmiz. See Crimson, and cf. Alkermes.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Definition: The dried bodies of the females of a scale insect (Coccus ilicis), allied to the cochineal insect, and found on several species of oak near the Mediterranean. They are round, about the size of a pea, contain coloring matter analogous to carmine, and are used in dyeing. They were anciently thought to be of a vegetable nature, and were used in medicine. [Written also chermes.]
2. (Bot.)
Definition: A small European evergreen oak (Quercus coccifera) on which the kermes insect (Coccus ilicis) feeds. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants). Kermes mineral. (a) (Old Chem.) An artificial amorphous trisulphide of antimony; -- so called on account of its red color. (b) (Med. Chem.) A compound of the trioxide and trisulphide of antimony, used in medicine. This substance occurs in nature as the mineral kermesite.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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ENCYCLOPEDIA
(noun) a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty
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