Definition
A small wild animal or pest considered undesirable or destructive, such as rats, rabbits, or coyotes; also used colloquially to refer to an annoying or troublesome person. The term carries a folksy, informal tone common in rural American English.
Example Usage
The farmer set traps to catch the varmints that were raiding his grain stores.
Origin
A dialectal alteration of 'vermin,' influenced by folk etymology or pronunciation changes in American English.
Fun Fact
In Western movies and rural folklore, 'varmint' became iconic slang for any critter worth hunting, contributing to its enduring place in Americana.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
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