germ vs microbe what difference

what is difference between germ and microbe

English

Etymology

From Middle French germe, from Latin germen (“bud, seed, embryo”). Doublet of germen.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɜːm/
• (General American) enPR: jûrm, IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɝm/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)m

Noun

germ (plural germs)

1. (biology) The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud or spore.
2. A pathogenic microorganism.
3. The embryo of a seed, especially of a seed used as a cereal or grain. See Wikipedia article on cereal germ.
4. (figuratively) The origin of an idea or project.

   the germ of civil liberty
5. (mathematics) An equivalence class that includes a specified function defined in an open neighborhood.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

germ (third-person singular simple present germs, present participle germing, simple past and past participle germed)

1. To germinate.
   • 1909, Thomas Hardy, The Flirt’s Tragedy

     Thus tempted, the lust to avenge me / Germed inly and grew.

2. (slang) To grow, as if parasitic.
   • 2011, Black Eyed Peas, Just Can’t Get Enough

     I’m addicted, want to germ inside your love

See also

• bacteria
• microbe
• parasite
• virus

Further reading

• germ in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• germ in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *garmáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *gʰarmás, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰor-mó-s. Cognate with Persian گرم‎ (garm) and English warm.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛɾm

Adjective

germ (comparative germtir, superlative germtirîn)

1. warm

Derived terms

• germahî

Zazaki

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *garmáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *gʰarmás, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰor-mó-s. Cognate with Persian گرم‎ (garm) and English warm.

Adjective

germ

1. warm

Derived terms

• germey
• germin
• germın

English

Etymology

From French microbe, from Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”) and βίος (bíos, “life”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmaɪkɹoʊb/

Noun

microbe (plural microbes)

1. (microbiology) Any microorganism, but especially a harmful bacterium.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:microorganism

Related terms

• microorganism

Translations

Anagrams

• Crombie

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French microbe, from Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”) and βίος (bíos, “life”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌmiˈkroː.bə/
• Hyphenation: mi‧cro‧be

Noun

microbe f (plural microben or microbes, diminutive microbetje n)

1. (microbiology) microbe

Derived terms

• microbisch

French

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”) and βίος (bíos, “life”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi.kʁɔb/

Noun

microbe m (plural microbes)

1. (microbiology) microbe

Further reading

• “microbe” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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