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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
Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Colorado Botanicals actively controls the entire farming process, starting with regular soil testing for microbes, fungi, chemicals, and heavy metals.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
These microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, also collect on the roots of plants.
—Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
Apparently the fibre and plant compounds, called polyphenols, act as an important fuel source for our gut microbes, which explains why sourdough is a gut-friendly choice.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Their products are third-party tested for purity and potency, including nutritional content, pesticides and herbicides, heavy metals, allergens, microbes, and other potential contaminants.
—Casey Seiden, Parents, 22 Mar. 2024
Another is a moonshot project to engineer nitrogen-fixing microbes into the roots of plants like corn, to lessen dependence on energy-intensive nitrogen fertilizer.
—Bill Anderson, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024
These microbes have a strange way of thanking us for the meal.
—Popular Science, 14 Mar. 2024
Scientists believe that imbalances in the complex ecosystem that is the billions of microbes inhabiting our digestive tract contribute to hypertension—and ongoing research (which includes clinical trials!) suggests that probiotics can help restore balance.
—Lauren Del Turco, SELF, 22 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'microbe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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microbe
noun
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microbe
noun
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