1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Vermicelli

VERMICELLI (plural of Ital. vermicello, little worm, Lat. vermicellus, diminutive of vermis, worm), the name of a kind of paste, made of the granular meal of certain hard wheats, and used as a food. It is made into worm-like threads, whence its name, and differs from macaroni only in being made solid and not in hollow tubes. “Spaghetti” (dim. of spago, a small cord) is a larger kind of vermicelli. In Italy these various pastes form a staple article of food. In other countries “vermicelli” is used in soups and puddings, &c.