microbiome

noun

mi·cro·bi·ome | \ ˌmī-krō-ˈbī-ˌōm

Definition of microbiome

1 : a community of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that inhabit a particular environment and especially the collection of microorganisms living in or on the human body Your body is home to about 100 trillion bacteria and other microbes, collectively known as your microbiome.— Carl Zimmer … what's arguably become the hottest area of medicine: microbiome research, an emerging field that's investigating how the bacteria that live in and on our bodies affect our health.— Sunny Sea Gold

2 : the collective genomes of microorganisms inhabiting a particular environment and especially the human body They form one community among the many that make up the human microbiome: the full genetic complement of bacteria and other organisms at home on your skin, gums, and teeth, in your genital tract, and especially in your gut.— Nathan Wolfe

Examples of microbiome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The purpose of our new Clear Skin Probiotics is to help restore that skin microbiome so that your body and your skin can be at its best on its own how nature intended. — Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 25 June 2021 Our microbiome has a significant involvement in the biomagnetic field of our body, and every cell needs a special voltage. — Annie Brown, Forbes, 13 May 2021 The new data from old poop show no one on the planet today has been spared changes to their microbiome. — Andrew Curry, Science | AAAS, 12 May 2021 Bacteria in our bodies make up what is collectively known as our microbiome. — Mike Wehner, BGR, 11 May 2021 Every polyp hosts a variety of bacteria, algae, fungi and other microorganisms, collectively known as its microbiome. — Elizabeth Svoboda, Scientific American, 1 May 2021 Energy levels, hormone production, the microbiome, your metabolism, the health of your brain, and your overall longevity. — Ellevate, Forbes, 21 June 2021 Those include organic compounds, pollen, fungi and bacteria that contribute to the diversity of microorganisms humans need for a robust and diverse microbiome—all the tiny living things on us and in us that protect us from disease. — Betsy Morris, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2021 There are four underlying biological features of cavities, beginning with the microbiome or the bacteria that live in the mouth. — Jeffrey Ebersole, The Conversation, 18 May 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'microbiome.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

16 Jul 2021

Cite this Entry

“Microbiome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbiome. Accessed 9 Aug. 2021.

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More Definitions for microbiome

microbiome

noun

mi·cro·bi·ome | \ ˌmī-krō-ˈbī-ˌōm

Medical Definition of microbiome

1 : a community of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that inhabit a particular environment and especially the collection of microorganisms living in or on the human body The intestinal microbiome consists of the microorganisms that inhabit the gut.— Clara Abraham et al., The New England Journal of Medicine, 19 Nov. 2009 Collectively known as the microbiome, this community may play a role in regulating one's risk of obesity, asthma and allergies.— Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, March 2012 The human oral microbiome comprises all microbial species in the oral cavity.— Naomi P. O'Grady, The Journal of the American Medical Association, 20 June 2012

2 : the collective genomes of microorganisms inhabiting a particular environment and especially the human body As part of a new citizen-science initiative called the American Gut project, the lab sequenced my microbiome—that is, the genes not of "me," exactly, but of the several hundred microbial species with whom I share this body.— Michael Pollan, The New York Times, 19 May 2013 Together, the genomes of these microbial symbionts (collectively defined as the microbiome) provide traits that humans did not need to evolve on their own.— Peter J. Turnbaugh et al., Nature, 18 Oct. 2007