any of various small animals or insects that are pests; e.g. cockroaches or rats; "cereals must be protected from mice and other vermin"; "he examined the child's head for vermin"; "boys in the village have probably been shooting vermin"
marked by or capable of arousing controversy; "the issue of the death penalty is highly controversial"; "Rushdie's controversial book"; "a controversial decision on affirmative action"
a forceful forward rush or flow; "from the bow she stared at the mesmerising onrush of the sea where it split and foamed"; "the explosion interrupted the wild onrush of her thoughts"