Also 7 vermechulli, virmizzelli, 8 vermigelly; 8 vermicelly (-cella), vermeselly. [a. It. vermicelli, pl. of vermicello, dim. of verme:—L. vermem, acc. sing. of vermis worm. Cf. prec.]
1. A wheaten paste, of Italian origin, now usu. made of flour, cheese, yolks of eggs, sugar and saffron, prepared in the form of long, slender, hard threads, and used as an article of diet. Cf. MACARONI 1.
1669. Davenant, Man’s the Master, I. i. Vermechulli shall my Palat please, Serv’d in with Bisques, Ragous, and Intermets.
1674. Boyle, Excell. Theol., I. i. 54. Vermicelli, wafers, and pie-crust, are all of them diversified meal.
1709. Prior, Paulo Purganti, 65. With Oysters, Eggs, and Vermicelli, She let Him almost burst his Belly.
1747. Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, xix. 155. It will run up like little Worms, as Vermicella does.
1767. Ann. Reg., I. 92. The free importation of rice, sago dust, and vermicelli … from the American colonies.
1819. Byron, Juan, II. clxx. Ceres presents a plate of vermicelli.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 1276. The macaroni requires to be made of a less compact dough than the vermicelli.
1887. L. Oliphant, Episodes (1888), 153. A soup in which was floating what appeared to be pieces of vermicelli.
b. attrib., chiefly in the sense ‘made of vermicelli,’ as vermicelli pudding, soup; also ‘resembling or suggestive of vermicelli,’ as vermicelli braid, braiding.
1769. Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housekpr. (1778), 1. When you make any kind of soups, particularly portable, vermicelli, or brown gravy soup. Ibid., 175. A Vermicelli Pudding. Boil four ounces of vermicelli in a pint of new milk till it is soft [etc.].
1806. A. Hunter, Culina (ed. 3), 207. White Vermicelli Soup.
1884. Illustr. Lond. News, 20 Sept., 267/2. We had vermicelli soup (flavoured with grated parmesan cheese).
1904. Daily Chron., 23 Aug., 8/1. Quite the newest of these embroideries are the so-called vermicelli braids, narrow crinkled cords formed into whirligig devices of no decidedly definite pattern. Ibid. (1907), 1 Oct., 8. Sleeveless coats in fine cloth, covered entirely with vermicelli braiding.
2. ellipt. Vermicelli soup.
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl., 26 April. We … commonly stop at Mr. Gill’s, the pastry-cook, to take a jelly, a tart, or a small basin of vermicelli.
1850. Mayne Reid, Rifle Rangers, xiv. ‘Perhaps you would prefer Julienne or vermicelli, gentlemen?’ inquired the Don.
