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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
Dr. Avishesh Neupane, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
The process is arduous, spanning days or weeks of boiling and soaking in syrup, but when sugar properly penetrates fruit’s cellular structure, not only does the appearance become almost incandescent, but the microbes that cause spoilage can’t survive.
—Hannah Walhout, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Feb. 2026
Over the past several years, studies have suggested some people with cancer have less diverse, less balanced communities of gut microbes, Wargo said.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
Nutrition experts say that resistant starch is one of the best things for your gut microbiome, the community of trillions of microbes that live in your intestine.
—Anahad O’Connor, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
