Adjacent Words

Germ definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GERM, n. [L. germen.] In botany, the ovary or seed-bud of a plant, the rudiment of fruit yet in embryo. It is the base or lower part of the pistil, which, in the progress of vegetation, swells and becomes the seed-vessel.
1. Origin; first principle; that from which any thing springs; as the germ of civil liberty, or of prosperity.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: anything that provides inspiration for later work [syn: source, seed, germ]
2: a small apparently simple structure (as a fertilized egg) from which new tissue can develop into a complete organism
3: a minute life form (especially a disease-causing bacterium); the term is not in technical use [syn: microbe, bug, germ]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: French germe, from Latin germin-, germen, from gignere to beget — more at kin Date: 1644 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 2. something that initiates development or serves as an origin ; rudiments, beginning 3. microorganism; especially a microorganism causing disease

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a micro-organism, esp. one which causes disease. 2 a a portion of an organism capable of developing into a new one; the rudiment of an animal or plant. b an embryo of a seed (wheat germ). 3 an original idea etc. from which something may develop; an elementary principle. Phrases and idioms: germ-cell 1 a cell containing half the number of chromosomes of a somatic cell and able to unite with one from the opposite sex to form a new individual; a gamete. 2 any embryonic cell with the potential of developing into a gamete. germ warfare the systematic spreading of micro-organisms to cause disease in an enemy population. in germ not yet developed. Derivatives: germy adj. Etymology: F germe f. L germen germinis sprout

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Germ Germ, n. (Biol.) The germ cells, collectively, as distinguished from the somatic cells, or soma. Germ is often used in place of germinal to form phrases; as, germ area, germ disc, germ membrane, germ nucleus, germ sac, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Germ Germ, n. [F. germe, fr. L. germen, germinis, sprout, but, germ. Cf. Germen, Germane.] 1. (Biol.) That which is to develop a new individual; as, the germ of a fetus, of a plant or flower, and the like; the earliest form under which an organism appears. In the entire process in which a new being originates . . . two distinct classes of action participate; namely, the act of generation by which the germ is produced; and the act of development, by which that germ is evolved into the complete organism. --Carpenter. 2. That from which anything springs; origin; first principle; as, the germ of civil liberty. Disease germ (Biol.), a name applied to certain tiny bacterial organisms or their spores, such as Anthrax bacillus and the Micrococcus of fowl cholera, which have been demonstrated to be the cause of certain diseases. See Germ theory (below). Germ cell (Biol.), the germ, egg, spore, or cell from which the plant or animal arises. At one time a part of the body of the parent, it finally becomes detached,and by a process of multiplication and growth gives rise to a mass of cells, which ultimately form a new individual like the parent. See Ovum. Germ gland. (Anat.) See Gonad. Germ stock (Zo["o]l.), a special process on which buds are developed in certain animals. See Doliolum. Germ theory (Biol.), the theory that living organisms can be produced only by the evolution or development of living germs or seeds. See Biogenesis, and Abiogenesis. As applied to the origin of disease, the theory claims that the zymotic diseases are due to the rapid development and multiplication of various bacteria, the germs or spores of which are either contained in the organism itself, or transferred through the air or water. See Fermentation theory.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Germ Germ, v. i. To germinate. [R.] --J. Morley.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(germs) 1. A germ is a very small organism that causes disease. Chlorine is widely used to kill germs. ...a germ that destroyed hundreds of millions of lives. N-COUNT 2. The germ of something such as an idea is something which developed or might develop into that thing. The germ of an idea took root in Rosemary's mind... N-SING: N of n 3. see also wheatgerm

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Embryo, ovum (in animals), ovule (in plants), seed-bud. young bud. 2. Origin, source, first principle, originating or originative principle.

Foolish Dictionary

A bit of animal life living in water. (See GERMAN)

Moby Thesaurus

Anlage, Euglena, adenovirus, aerobe, aerobic bacteria, amoeba, anaerobe, anaerobic bacteria, animalcule, bacillus, bacteria, bacterium, base, basis, beginning, blastula, bud, bug, coccus, colon bacillus, diatom, disease-producing microorganism, dyad, echovirus, egg, embryo, enterovirus, fetus, filterable virus, flagellate, fount, fungus, germen, gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria, larva, loins, microbe, microorganism, microspore, microzoa, mold, monad, nematode, nonfilterable virus, nucleus, nymph, origin, ovum, paramecium, pathogen, picornavirus, protozoa, protozoon, reovirus, rhinovirus, rickettsia, root, rudiment, salmonella, saprophyte, seed, source, spark, spermatozoon, spirillum, spirochete, spore, sporozoon, staphylococcus, start, streptococcus, tetrad, triad, trypanosome, vibrio, virus, volvox, vorticellum, zoospore, zygote