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A hint of the Greek word bios, meaning "life", can be seen in microbe. Microbes, or microorganisms, include bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae, amoebas, and slime molds. Many people think of microbes as simply the causes of disease, but every human is actually the host to billions of microbes, and most of them are essential to our life. Much research is now going into possible microbial sources of future energy; algae looks particularly promising, as do certain newly discovered or created microbes that can produce cellulose, to be turned into ethanol and other biofuels.
Examples of microbe in a Sentence
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
May Support Gut Health The gut microbiome is the community of microbes (such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses) that live in your gut.
—Cynthia Sass, Health, 23 Dec. 2025
Not to be confused with sodium hypochlorite in household bleach, hypochlorous acid is a weak acid that can be safely used on the skin and that destroys an array of harmful microbes by attacking cell walls.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 23 Dec. 2025
Studies show that improper or extended use of gloves can actually lead to higher levels of bacterial contamination on gloves than on bare hands, because microbes can accumulate under gloves and give a false sense of security if they aren’t changed regularly.
—Evan Moore
december 19, Charlotte Observer, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for microbe
Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.
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microbe
noun
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microbe
noun
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