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Webster 1913 Edition


Kermes

Ker′mes

,
Noun.
[Ar. & Per.
girmiz
. See
Crimson
, and cf.
Alkermes
.]
1.
(Zool.)
The dried bodies of the females of a scale insect (
Kermes ilices
formerly
Coccus ilicis
), allied to the cochineal insect, and found on several species of oak near the Mediterranean; also, the dye obtained from them. 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.)
A small European evergreen oak (
Quercus coccifera
) on which the kermes insect (
Kermes ilices
, formerly
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
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Kermes

KERM'ES

,
Noun.
In zoology, an insect produced in the excrescences of a species of small oak, or the body of an insect transformed into a grain, berry, or husk. This body is full of reddish juice, which
is used in dyeing red. Hence the word crimson.

Definition 2024


kermés

kermés

See also: kermes, Kermes, and kermès

Spanish

Noun

kermés m (plural kermeses)

  1. party, fête
    • 2016 July 24, “Un hombre acuchilla a su pareja en centro de terapias”, in El Deber Bolivia:
      Hace dos años, según la pariente de Sandra, Arturo Vega fue internado y su pareja organizó una kermés para recaudar fondos y ayudarle.