vermicelli

American  

[vur-mi-chel-ee, -sel-ee] / ˌvɜr mɪˈtʃɛl i, -ˈsɛl i /

noun

1. a kind of pasta in the form of long, slender, solid threads, resembling spaghetti but thinner.

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vermicelli British  

/ vermiˈtʃɛlli, ˌvɜːmɪˈsɛlɪ /

noun

1. very fine strands of pasta, used in soups

2. tiny chocolate strands used to coat cakes, etc

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Etymology

Origin of vermicelli

1660–70; < Italian, plural of vermicello, diminutive of verme worm < Latin vermis

Compare meaning

How does vermicelli compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• vermicelli vs. spaghetti

Example Sentences

Serve them with a sweet chili dipping sauce or fresh lettuce leaves and rice vermicelli noodles.

From Salon • Aug. 7, 2025

All night, they shook muck from the nets, sorting out their prizes: wriggling, transparent baby eels, each no thicker than a vermicelli noodle.

From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2023

On the bar food, staples of vermicelli noodles and sandwiches get gussied up with marbled beef and other high end meats.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023

Add the rice, vermicelli, curry powder, ginger, sugar and salt, and stir to combine.

From Washington Post • Feb. 5, 2023

She opened the refrigerator and I saw familiar containers of chicken salad, vermicelli, vegetables, stuffed squash, all things I had brought for Morrie.

From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

Related Words

• gnocchi
• linguine
• macaroni
• ravioli
• spaghetti
• tortellini