kermes

[ kur-meez ]
/ ˈkɜr miz /

noun

a red dye formerly prepared from the dried bodies of the females of a scale insect, Kermes ilices, which lives on small, evergreen oaks of the Mediterranean region.
the oak itself, of the genus Quercus coccifera.

Origin of kermes

1590–1600; < French kermès < Arabic qirmiz < Persian; replacing earlier chermez < Italian chermes < Arabic as above; see crimson

Words nearby kermes

kerkyra, kerley b line, kerma, kerman, kermanshah, kermes, kermesite, kermis, kermit, kern, kernel

Example sentences from the Web for kermes

British Dictionary definitions for kermes

kermes
/ (ˈkɜːmɪz) /

noun

the dried bodies of female scale insects of the genus Kermes, esp K. ilices of Europe and W Asia, used as a red dyestuff
a small evergreen Eurasian oak tree, Quercus coccifera, with prickly leaves resembling holly: the host plant of kermes scale insects

Word Origin for kermes

C16: from French kermès, from Arabic qirmiz, from Sanskrit krmija- red dye, literally: produced by a worm, from krmi worm + ja- produced