germ

germ

the rudimentary form from which a new organism is developed; seed; bud
any microscopic organism, esp. one of the bacteria, that can cause disease
that from which something can develop or grow; basis: the germ of an idea

Origin of germ

Middle English germe, a bud, sprout from Old French from Classical Latin germen, sprig, bud, germ, embryo from Indo-European an unverified form gen-men (from source Sanskrit janiman-, birth, origin) from base an unverified form ?en-: see genus

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"germ." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/germ>.

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germ. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/germ

germ

noun

Biology A small mass of protoplasm or cells from which a new organism or one of its parts may develop.
The earliest form of an organism; a seed, bud, or spore.
A microorganism, especially a pathogen.
Something that may serve as the basis of further growth or development: the germ of a project.

Origin of germ

Middle English bud from Old French germe from Latin germen ; see genə- in Indo-European roots.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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"germ." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/germ>.

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germ. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/germ

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

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.

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MLA Style

"germ." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/germ>.

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germ. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/germ

Noun

(plural Germs)

(UK, derogatory) a German person.

Abbreviations

Abbreviation of German.

See also: germ.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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MLA Style

"germ." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/germ>.

APA Style

germ. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/germ

germ - Medical Definition

n.

Biology A small mass of protoplasm or cells from which a new organism or one of its parts may develop.
The earliest form of an organism; a seed, bud, or spore.
A microorganism, especially a pathogen.