plural germs
1
a
: a small mass of living substance capable of developing into an organism or one of its parts
b
: the embryo with the scutellum of a cereal grain that is usually separated from the starchy endosperm during milling
3
: a microorganism causing disease : a pathogenic agent (such as a bacterium or virus)
broadly
: microorganism
Examples of germ in a Sentence
the germ that causes tuberculosis
the germ of an idea
the germ layers of an embryo
Recent Examples on the Web
Drinking alcohol will not help to kill germs in your body.
—
Amelia MacIntyre, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2025
Raw milk cheeses are those made with milk that hasn’t been heat-treated, or pasteurized, to kill germs.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
An even smaller fraction—about 8 percent—had installed air-cleansing systems that incorporated ultraviolet light, which can kill germs.
—Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
Since then scientists and doctors have had some success in taming germs, thanks to the twin wonders of vaccines and treatments, Tomes says.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germ
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Amelia MacIntyre, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2025
Raw milk cheeses are those made with milk that hasn’t been heat-treated, or pasteurized, to kill germs.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
An even smaller fraction—about 8 percent—had installed air-cleansing systems that incorporated ultraviolet light, which can kill germs.
—Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
Since then scientists and doctors have had some success in taming germs, thanks to the twin wonders of vaccines and treatments, Tomes says.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germ
Cite this Entry
“Germ.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germ. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
germ
noun1
a
: a small mass of living substance capable of developing into a whole individual or one of its parts
b
: the embryo in the seed of a cereal (as corn or wheat) together with its cotyledon that is usually separated from the starchy part of the seed during milling
2
: something that serves as an origin
the germ of an idea
3
: a microscopic living thing
especially
: one that causes disease
Medical Definition
germ
noun1
: a small mass of living substance capable of developing into an organism or one of its parts
2
: a microorganism causing disease : a pathogenic agent (as a bacterium or virus)
broadly
: microorganism
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