germ

noun
UK: /dʒɜːm/
US: /dʒɝːm/

  1. A very small living thing that can cause disease.

    1. Wash your hands to kill the germs.
    2. The doctor said the illness was caused by a specific germ.

  2. The beginning of something; an initial stage of development.

    1. The idea for the project was just a germ at first.
    2. From that small germ of an idea, a great company was born.

Synonyms

microbe bug seed origin

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "germ" in English means: A very small living thing that can cause disease., The beginning of something; an initial stage of development..

The phonetic transcription of "germ" is /dʒɜːm/ in British English and /dʒɝːm/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "germ": microbe, bug, seed, origin.

Example usage of "germ": "Wash your hands to kill the germs.". More examples on the page.