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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
Devika Rao, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
The greens work with microbes in the soil to break down the browns.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
Whole grains and beans both contain a hefty dose of fiber, which feeds the good microbes in the gut.
—Dana G. Smith, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
And because of the patch’s design, its microbes remain viable in storage as long as four weeks, allowing stockpiling.
—New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for microbe
Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
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