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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
Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 17 June 2025
When a bacterium shoots the weapon into another bacterium from a separate species, the needle pierces the microbe without killing it.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2025
The result is a bucket of beneficial microbes that will foster a healthy garden ecosystem.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2025
Antibiotics are meant to kill microorganisms, but probiotics are beneficial living microbes.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 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 30 Jun. 2025.
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microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
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