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Assaliæ vermes
Plants animals and natural materials · A Chymical Dictionary
At a Glance
The word. Wood-associated worms, also called Teredones.
A place to read. The historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition pages 7, 8; facsimile PDF pages 335, 336.
Historical Definition
Assaliæ vermes are worms breeding in wood or between two boards; they are called Teredones.
Meaning
The definition identifies the creatures through their place of occurrence. Wood and the space between boards supply its practical recognition clues; Teredones supplies an alternative name. It does not distinguish a modern species, life stage or kind of wood. A historically accurate explanation should therefore preserve the observed setting rather than replace the entry with a narrow zoological identification.
The word vermes names the creatures in this account. It need not carry the same scope as a precise present-day biological category. In a passage, note whether the author concerns the animal, damage to wood or an analogy drawn from it.
Historical source: 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition pages 7, 8; facsimile PDF pages 335, 336 — Facsimile