germ

[ jurm ]

noun

1. a microorganism, especially when disease-producing; microbe.
2. a bud, offshoot, or seed.
3. the rudiment of a living organism; an embryo in its early stages.
4. the initial stage in development or evolution, as a germ cell or ancestral form.

   Synonyms: seed, rudiment, bud, root, spark

5. something that serves as a source or initial stage for subsequent development:

   the germ of an idea.

adjective

1. Pathology. of, relating to, or caused by disease-producing germs.

germ

/ dʒɜːm /

noun

1. a microorganism, esp one that produces disease in animals or plants
2. often plural the rudimentary or initial form of something

   the germs of revolution

3. a simple structure, such as a fertilized egg, that is capable of developing into a complete organism

germ

/ jûrm /

1. A microscopic organism or agent, especially one that is pathogenic, such as a bacterium or virus.

Other Words From

• germless adjective
• germlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of germ¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French germe < Latin germen shoot, sprout, by dissimilation from *genmen, equivalent to gen- ( genitor, genus ) + -men resultative noun suffix)

Word History and Origins

Origin of germ¹

C17: from French germe, from Latin germen sprig, bud, sprout, seed

Usage

The terms germ and microbe have been used to refer to invisible agents of disease since the nineteenth century, when scientists introduced the germ theory of disease, the idea that infections and contagious diseases are caused by microorganisms. Microbe, a shortening and alteration of microorganism , comes from the Greek prefix mikro–, “small,” and the word bios, “life.” Scientists no longer use the terms germ and microbe very much. Today they can usually identify the specific agents of disease, such as individual species of bacteria or viruses. To refer generally to agents of disease, they use the term pathogen, from the Greek pathos, “suffering,” and the suffix –gen, “producer.” They use microorganism to refer to any unicellular organism, whether disease-causing or not.

Example Sentences

Some coronavirus experts have suggested that on reinfection the covid-19 germ will stay in the upper airway, causing sniffles, rather than penetrating the lungs to cause pneumonia.

From MIT Technology Review

A world of germs is vying to invade your body and make you sick.

From Science News For Students

Among such immune people, a germ now has a hard time finding a new host.

From Science News For Students

Without masks, people sick with the new coronavirus can likely spread the germs even without coughing or sneezing.

From Science News For Students

Scientists might also use this information to learn how such germs keep their hosts — us — healthy.

From Science News For Students

And despite years of speculation, nobody has proved Assad has any germ warfare capability at all.

From The Daily Beast

“Those practices did develop out of concerns about germ-sharing about a century ago,” she said.

From The Daily Beast

When asked if the potential for germ-sharing bothered her, she scoffed: “Not at all.”

From The Daily Beast

Eisner, who lives in a city obsessed with health, has noticed that people have gotten quite germ-phobic.

From The Daily Beast

In the meantime, toss out that beef jerky, and bust open that vat of wheat-germ!

From The Daily Beast

There was no doubt thought of his own loss in this question: yet there was, one may hope, a germ of solicitude for the mother too.

From Project Gutenberg

A germ flies from a stagnant pool, and the laughing child, its mother's darling, dies dreadfully of diphtheria.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. William Aird, the germ-proof man, has been giving demonstrations in London.

From Project Gutenberg

It is reported that last week a germ snapped at him and broke off two of its teeth.

From Project Gutenberg

The boy struck him as talented, but nothing made him suspect the germ of a great composer.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• antibody
• bacterium
• bug
• disease
• microbe
• microorganism
• pathogen
• virus