WordGarden.iogerm
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /dʒˈɜːm/
US
- /ˈdʒɜrm/
Meanings
Noun
a microorganism that can cause disease
the earliest source or beginning of an idea or development
the embryo or sprouting part of a seed, especially in grain
Beyond the definition
In everyday English, a "germ" is a tiny living thing, or something like a virus, that can make people sick. This is the meaning most people use when they talk about washing their hands, cleaning a surface, or trying not to catch something from another person. You might hear that a child picked up a germ at school, or that soap helps remove germs.
People usually use this word in a general, informal way rather than as a precise scientific term. It often points to bacteria and viruses, especially when the exact cause of an illness is unknown. The tone is usually practical and connected to health, hygiene, and the spread of disease.
The word "germ" usually refers to a very small organism, or something like a virus, that can cause disease. In normal conversation, it is a broad, everyday word for the kinds of tiny things people blame for infections, colds, stomach bugs, and other illnesses. When someone says, "Don't touch that, it's full of germs," they mean it may carry disease-causing microbes.
This word is common in contexts about hygiene and health. We talk about washing away germs, killing germs with disinfectant, or catching a germ from someone who is sick. In these cases, the word is useful because it is simple and easy to understand, even when no one knows the exact bacterium or virus involved.
In more careful scientific use, "germ" is not the most exact term. Words like "bacterium," "virus," "fungus," "pathogen," or "microbe" can be more precise. Still, "germ" remains very common in everyday English, especially in speech aimed at children or the general public.
The word also has an older meaning: the beginning of something that develops later, like the first small idea of a plan. That sense appears in phrases such as "the germ of an idea." So the word can point either to disease-causing microscopic agents in everyday life, or, in a more formal or literary sense, to the small starting point from which something grows.
Examples
- 1
Hygiene
Wash your hands before you eat so you do not spread germs.
- 2
Food contamination
A germ in the milk made several people sick.
- 3
Childcare
Day-care centers can be full of germs in the winter.
- 4
Cleaning products
This spray is designed to kill germs on kitchen surfaces.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Origin of idea
That first conversation was the germ of the whole project.
- Patternthe germ of + idea/plan/project
the beginning of that idea, plan, or project
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- germnoun
Forms
- germspluralnoun