Word: Germ

Pronunciation

/dʒɜːrm/

Definitions

• Noun: A tiny living thing, especially a bacterium, virus, or fungus, that causes disease or can cause fermentation in food. For example: “The flu germ spreads quickly through the air.”
  • Also, a basic or essential part from which something else develops or grows; a seed or beginning. Example: “Ideas that have grown into movements from small germs of thought.”

Noun Examples

• “Doctors warn against touching your face to avoid spreading germs.”
• “His interest in science started from a germ of curiosity when he was young.”

Phrases

• “Kill germs” refers to eliminating or reducing the presence of microorganisms that may cause illness.
• “Germs of doubt” suggests the beginning or seeds of uncertainty or disbelief.

Phrase Examples

• “Hand sanitizer is effective in killing germs on your hands.”
• “The germs of doubt about his plan began to sprout among the team members.”

Synonyms

• Microbe
• Bacterium
• Virus
• Fungus (in the context of disease-causing organisms)
• Seed (in the metaphorical sense of an idea’s origin)