Save Gender Feminine Usage Literature, Popular Culture Pronounced Pron. /və.ˈɹu.kə/ [key·simplify] Other Forms FormsVerruca Meaning & History Created by Roald Dahl for a character in his book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, published in 1964. He based the name on the Italian and Latin word verruca, meaning "wart", used in English to refer to the plantar wart.