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vermiculate(adjective) Infested with or damaged (as if eaten) by worms. Synonyms: worm-eaten, wormyUsage: I returned from vacation to find my yard littered with vermiculate, rotting plums that had fallen from the tree while I was away.
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A couple of noteworthy points about "vermiculate:"
First, although TFD doesn't state so, "vermiculate" is also a noun, a variant spelling of "vermiculite," a naturally occurring mineral which sometimes contains highly toxic asbestos. Aptly, one of the adjective senses of "vermiculate" is "insidious," like a worm making its way underground, much as asbestos fibers insidiously insert themselves into lung tissue, produce scarring, decreased lung function, and sometimes mesothelioma and death. (Cheerful, right?)
Second, "vermiculate" the verb and "vermiculate" the adjective are amusingly at odds. The verb means "adorn" with wavy forms, while the adjective means (among other things) having the appearance of being "wormy" or "worm-eaten." TFD illustrates the verb meaning with, "beautify yourself for the special day." OK, if you're a worm, a Hydra, or at least vermiform, I guess...
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Interesting to see what else is around such a word as 'vermiculate (adjective)'. The Latin words in it are vermis/is worm and the diminutive form
vermiculus little worm - and the element for word formation -atus/a/um having the meaning 'provided with, fitted with, having' - so the idea of the phrase 'vermiculate plums' is: plums filled with little worms or plums having little worms inside.
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"Not every apple (or plum) has a worm," the adage goes. While we are on this wormy subject, "vermin" has the same Latin root.
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