Kermes

1. (n.) The dried bodies of the females of a scale insect (Coccus ilicis), allied to the cochineal insect, and found on several species of oak near the Mediterranean. They are round, about the size of a pea, contain coloring matter analogous to carmine, and are used in dyeing. They were anciently thought to be of a vegetable nature, and were used in medicine.
2. (n.) A small European evergreen oak (Quercus coccifera) on which the kermes insect (Coccus ilicis) feeds.
3. (n.) A genus of scale insects including many species that feed on oaks. The adult female resembles a small gall.