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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
Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026
Your mix of microbes shifts with diet, geography and even the day, so measuring it against an ideal that does not exist tells you very little.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
Could Martian mudstones be holding evidence of ancient microbes?
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 24 June 2026
These direct-to-consumer tests usually rely on stool samples, cost a few hundred dollars and deliver hundreds of measurements related to microbes and metabolites, sometimes even offering you a gut health score.
—Will Stone, NPR, 22 June 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 25 Jun. 2026.
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microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
