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
According to Stein, cotton sheets can handle higher temperatures, which helps kill germs and dust mites.
—
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
While the show has found a home at the Circle in the Square Theatre for the past six months, the germ of this project began to take shape much earlier, in 2017, born out of a kinship Groff felt with the late singer.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025
These co-workers are not heroes for coming in to work with their germs, but selfish and inconsiderate.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
Little more than a century later, life expectancy had dramatically increased to seventy nine years—all due to a better understanding of microscopic germs as the cause of infectious diseases, public health measures, and the discovery and application of antibiotics.
—Alan Lightman
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germ
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Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
While the show has found a home at the Circle in the Square Theatre for the past six months, the germ of this project began to take shape much earlier, in 2017, born out of a kinship Groff felt with the late singer.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025
These co-workers are not heroes for coming in to work with their germs, but selfish and inconsiderate.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
Little more than a century later, life expectancy had dramatically increased to seventy nine years—all due to a better understanding of microscopic germs as the cause of infectious diseases, public health measures, and the discovery and application of antibiotics.
—Alan Lightman
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germ
Cite this Entry
“Germ.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germ. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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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