Ungeziefer

== German == === Etymology === From early modern German ungeziffer, Ungezieffer, a variant form of Middle High German ungezibere. These pertain to Old High German zebar (“sacrificial animal”) and hence originally meant “animals unsuitable for sacrifice”, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tībrą (“offering, sacrifice, victim”). The word is rarely attested in medieval texts due to suppression of words reminiscent of heathen practices, but must have survived in lower registers. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈʊnɡəˌt͡siːfɐ/, /ˈʊŋɡə-/ === Noun === Ungeziefer n (strong, genitive Ungeziefers, plural Ungeziefer) (uncountable, collective) vermin; pests; restricted to small animals, usually insects or spiders, sometimes also mice, etc. Hypernym: Schädling (countable, rare) a vermin animal; a despised creature ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “Ungeziefer” in Duden online Ungeziefer on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de Ungeziefer on the German Wikiquote.Wikiquote de “Ungeziefer” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache