germ
germ Lexical Profile
germ Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A microscopic organism, especially a bacterium, virus, or fungus, capable of causing infectious disease in living hosts.
The nutrient-rich embryo of a cereal grain or seed, such as wheat or corn, from which a new plant sprouts and which is often separated during milling.
"She sprinkled toasted wheat germ over her morning yogurt to add extra fiber and vitamins."
An initial stage, rudimentary trace, or starting point from which an idea, theory, or state of affairs may develop.
"That brief conversation on the train contained the germ of what would eventually become her bestselling novel."
• Rhymes for germ
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French 'germe', from Latin 'germen' meaning 'sprout, bud, or seed'. The modern medical sense referring to disease-causing microorganisms developed in the late 19th century alongside the rise of the germ theory of disease.