Vermin (colloquially varmint or varmit) are pests or nuisance animals, that spread diseases or destroy crops or livestock. Use of the term implies the need for extermination programs. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included vary from area to area and person to person. The term derives from the Latin vermis (worm), and was originally used for the worm-like larvae of certain insects, many of which infest foodstuffs. The term varmint (and vermint) has been found in sources from c. 1530–1540s.

en.wikipedia.org · CC-BY-SA