plural germs
1
a
: a small mass of living substance capable of developing into an organism or one of its parts
b
: the embryo with the scutellum of a cereal grain that is usually separated from the starchy endosperm during milling
3
: a microorganism causing disease : a pathogenic agent (such as a bacterium or virus)
broadly
: microorganism
Examples of germ in a Sentence
the germ that causes tuberculosis
the germ of an idea
the germ layers of an embryo
Recent Examples on the Web
The crew has been in medical quarantine since March 18 to protect their voyage from hitchhiking germs.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
Why tire himself out, become completely exhausted and out of breath, crumple up the bedsheets that were changed just a few days ago, get someone else’s germs all over himself, and then reek of sweat afterward?
—Agnieszka Szpila, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Howard Hughes, the germ-averse aviation tycoon, is believed to have had it, too.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Those were the germs of The Comeback.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for germ
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
Why tire himself out, become completely exhausted and out of breath, crumple up the bedsheets that were changed just a few days ago, get someone else’s germs all over himself, and then reek of sweat afterward?
—Agnieszka Szpila, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Howard Hughes, the germ-averse aviation tycoon, is believed to have had it, too.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Those were the germs of The Comeback.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for germ
Cite this Entry
“Germ.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germ. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
germ
noun1
a
: a small mass of living substance capable of developing into a whole individual or one of its parts
b
: the embryo in the seed of a cereal (as corn or wheat) together with its cotyledon that is usually separated from the starchy part of the seed during milling
2
: something that serves as an origin
the germ of an idea
3
: a microscopic living thing
especially
: one that causes disease
Medical Definition
germ
noun1
: a small mass of living substance capable of developing into an organism or one of its parts
2
: a microorganism causing disease : a pathogenic agent (as a bacterium or virus)
broadly
: microorganism
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