[ad. L. vermiculātiōn-, vermiculātio (Pliny), noun of action f. vermiculārī: see VERMICULATE v.]
1. The fact or condition of being infested with or eaten by worms; conversion into small worms.
1611. Florio, Vermiculatione, a vermiculation, a breeding or crauling of vermine or grubs.
1630. Donne, Last Serm., Wks. 1839, VI. 285. Putrefaction and Vermiculation and Incineration and Dispersion in … the Grave.
1640. Howell, Dodona’s Gr., 70. This huge Olive which flourishd so long … fell, as they say, of vermiculation, being all worme-eaten within.
1658. J. Rowland, Moufet’s Theat. Ins., 933. A certain kinde of Flies which are begotten in the bark of the Elm,… and so perchance in other herbs and plants, without any preceding vermiculation, or being turned into little worms first.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Vermiculation, is an Infection of Plants by Worms.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Vermiculation,… the breeding of Worms in Trees, Herbs, or Fruits.
fig. 1907. Daily Chron., 3 April, 3/1. The decay and vermiculation of faith has already brought European theology to the verge of collapse.
† 2. Path. Vermicular or peristaltic movement of the intestines, etc.; peristalsis. Also transf.
1652. Starke, Prim. Devot. (1663), 117. [There is] a vermiculation in his muscles. Convulsions seize on his whole body.
1671. [R. MacWard], True Nonconf., 44. This is the vermiculation of your pulse.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., I. i. (1677), 31. My Heart moves … by the motion of Palpitation, my Blood by the motion of Circulation,… my Guts by the motion of Vermiculation.
1710. T. Fuller, Pharm. Extemp., 192. Hypochondriac … Affections, such as Vermiculations, Flushings.
† b. (See quot.) Obs.–0
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Vermiculation,… the griping of the Guts, a Disease.
3. With pl. A tortuous boring or marking made by, or resembling the track of, a worm.
1670. Evelyn, Sylva (ed. 2), xxv. 123. The wood of the Enzina,… when old, is curiously chambletted, and embroidered with Natural vermiculations.
1874. T. Hardy, Far fr. Madding Crowd, ix. The face of the boards is shown to be eaten into innumerable vermiculations.
1891. G. E. Shelley, Catal. Birds Brit. Mus., XIX. 24. The under surface of the body pale sulphur-yellow, more or less mottled … with dull ashy vermiculations.
b. (See quot.) rare–0.
1828–32. Webster, Vermiculation, the act of forming so as to resemble the motion of a worm.
c. Without article. Vermicular marking or ornamentation.
1866. Daily Tel., 17 Feb., 5/3. This enigma of honeycombing and vermiculation.
1872. Coues, N. Amer. Birds, 21, note. Cross-wise streaking is called barring, and always runs transverse to the axis of a bird; if the lines are straight, it is banding…; if very fine and irregular, it is vermiculation.
