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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
Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 29 Apr. 2026
Fungicides, for instance, are used to suppress disease-causing pathogens like blights and leaf spots, but might also impact beneficial microbes that live in flowers.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 28 Apr. 2026
Gut microbes were different in gastric cancer, the researchers found, unveiling 28 varying gut species.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
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, 27 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
