vermifuge

English

Etymology

Attested since about 1720, from Latin vermis (“worm”) + fugāre (“to cause to flee”). Compare -fuge.

Adjective

vermifuge (comparative more vermifuge, superlative most vermifuge)

1. (medicine, dated) Acting as a drug to cause expulsion or death of intestinal worms.

Synonyms

• anthelmintic.

Derived terms

• vermifugal

Noun

vermifuge (plural vermifuges)

1. (medicine, dated) A drug that causes the expulsion or death of intestinal worms, such as tapeworms.
   • 1867, Advertisement, The Prairie Farmer, Volume 20, New Series, page 264,

     We have been informed that the usual practice of Merchants, Farmers and Planters, in ordering their supplies of Dr. McLane's Celebrated VERMIFUGE, has been to simply write and order Vermifuge. The consequence is that instead of the genuine Dr. McLanes's Vermifuge, they very frequently get one or other of the many worthless preparations called Vermifuge now before the public.

   • 1875, James Herman De Ricci, Fiji: Our New Province in the South Seas, page 135:

     [...]; that the fruit is very good eating, either raw or boiled, and that the seeds, distinguished by a mustard-like pungency, are an efficacious vermifuge for children.

Synonyms

• anthelmintic

French

Etymology

From Latin vermis (“worm”) + fugāre (“to cause to flee”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɛʁ.mi.fyʒ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

vermifuge (plural vermifuges)

1. (medicine) vermifuge

Noun

vermifuge m (plural vermifuges)

1. (medicine) vermifuge

Related terms

• vermifuger

Further reading

• “vermifuge”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /u̯erˈmi.fu.ɡe/, [u̯ɛrˈmɪfʊɡɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /verˈmi.fu.d͡ʒe/, [verˈmiːfud͡ʒe]

Adjective

vermifuge

1. vocative masculine singular of vermifugus