plural germs
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
3
: a microorganism causing disease : a pathogenic agent (such as a bacterium or virus)
broadly
: microorganism
Examples of germ in a Sentence
the germ that causes tuberculosis
the germ of an idea
the germ layers of an embryo
Recent Examples on the Web
Even if such passive social distancing may have not evolved to prevent transmission to others, simply being too sick to interact with others will still reduce the spread of germs.
—
Sebastian Stockmaier, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
Vacuuming at least twice a week can get rid of surface germs.
—Terri Williams, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
The easiest solution is to place them on the top rack of your dishwasher and run a heat-dry cycle or the longest and hottest cycle to kill any germs.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2024
Cook: Make sure food is heated to a temperature high enough to kill germs.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for germ 
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Sebastian Stockmaier, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
Vacuuming at least twice a week can get rid of surface germs.
—Terri Williams, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
The easiest solution is to place them on the top rack of your dishwasher and run a heat-dry cycle or the longest and hottest cycle to kill any germs.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2024
Cook: Make sure food is heated to a temperature high enough to kill germs.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for germ
Dictionary Entries Near germ
Cite this Entry
“Germ.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germ. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
germ
noun1
a
: a small mass of living substance capable of developing into a whole individual or one of its parts
b
: the embryo in the seed of a cereal (as corn or wheat) together with its cotyledon that is usually separated from the starchy part of the seed during milling
2
: something that serves as an origin
the germ of an idea
3
: a microscopic living thing
especially
: one that causes disease
Medical Definition
germ
noun1
: a small mass of living substance capable of developing into an organism or one of its parts
2
: a microorganism causing disease : a pathogenic agent (as a bacterium or virus)
broadly
: microorganism
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