How to pronounce kermes
American English pronunciation
KUR-meez
- IPA
- /ˈkɝmiz/
- Syllables
- KUR · meez (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What kermes means
A tiny insect once crushed to make red dye
In a sentence: Long ago, dyers crushed the kermes to make a bright red color for cloth.
Where it comes from: It first appeared in English around 1600. It came through Arabic from a word meaning worm-colored.
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