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Germ
//d͡ʒɜːm// noun, verb, slang
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud, spore, or zygote.; The embryo of a seed, especially of a seed used as a cereal or grain. See Wikipedia article on cereal germ.
- 2 a German person. UK, derogatory, slang
- 3 a minute life form (especially a disease-causing bacterium); the term is not in technical use wordnet
- 4 The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud, spore, or zygote.; The small mass of cells from which a part of an organism develops, or a macroscopic but immature form of that part; a bud.
"surgical removal of germs of wisdom teeth"
- 5 a small apparently simple structure (as a fertilized egg) from which new tissue can develop into a complete organism wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A pathogen: a pathogenic microorganism, such as a bacterium or virus.
"'This again,' said the Bacteriologist, slipping a glass slide under the microscope, 'is a preparation of the celebrated Bacillus of cholera - the cholera germ.'"
- 7 anything that provides inspiration for later work wordnet
- 8 The origin or earliest version of an idea or project. figuratively
"the germ of civil liberty"
- 9 An equivalence class that includes a specified function defined in an open neighborhood.
Verb
- 1 To germinate.
"Thus tempted, the lust to avenge me / Germed inly and grew."
- 2 To grow, as if parasitic. slang
"I’m addicted, want to germ inside your love"
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle French germe, from Latin germen (“bud, seed, embryo”). Doublet of germen.
Etymology 2
From Middle French germe, from Latin germen (“bud, seed, embryo”). Doublet of germen.
Etymology 3
Clipping of German, from the phonetic similarity to germ.
See also for "germ"
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