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germ - 9 dictionary results
germ
[
jurm] 
–noun
| 1. | a microorganism, esp. when disease-producing; microbe. |
| 2. | a bud, offshoot, or seed. |
| 3. | the rudiment of a living organism; an embryo in its early stages. |
| 4. | the initial stage in development or evolution, as a germ cell or ancestral form. |
| 5. | something that serves as a source or initial stage for subsequent development: the germ of an idea. |
–adjective
| 6. | Pathology. of, pertaining to, or caused by disease-producing germs. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To germ
| germ (jûrm) n.
[Middle English, bud, from Old French germe, from Latin germen; see genə- in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Germ
Germ\, n. [F. germe, fr. L. germen, germinis, sprout, but, germ. Cf. Germen, Germane.]1. (Biol.) That which is to develop a new individual; as, the germ of a fetus, of a plant or flower, and the like; the earliest form under which an organism appears. In the entire process in which a new being originates . . . two distinct classes of action participate; namely, the act of generation by which the germ is produced; and the act of development, by which that germ is evolved into the complete organism. --Carpenter. 2. That from which anything springs; origin; first principle; as, the germ of civil liberty. Disease germ (Biol.), a name applied to certain tiny bacterial organisms or their spores, such as Anthrax bacillus and the Micrococcus of fowl cholera, which have been demonstrated to be the cause of certain diseases. See Germ theory (below). Germ cell (Biol.), the germ, egg, spore, or cell from which the plant or animal arises. At one time a part of the body of the parent, it finally becomes detached,and by a process of multiplication and growth gives rise to a mass of cells, which ultimately form a new individual like the parent. See Ovum. Germ gland. (Anat.) See Gonad. Germ stock (Zo["o]l.), a special process on which buds are developed in certain animals. See Doliolum. Germ theory (Biol.), the theory that living organisms can be produced only by the evolution or development of living germs or seeds. See Biogenesis, and Abiogenesis. As applied to the origin of disease, the theory claims that the zymotic diseases are due to the rapid development and multiplication of various bacteria, the germs or spores of which are either contained in the organism itself, or transferred through the air or water. See Fermentation theory.Germ
Germ\, v. i. To germinate. [R.] --J. Morley.Germ
Germ\, n. (Biol.) The germ cells, collectively, as distinguished from the somatic cells, or soma. Germ is often used in place of germinal to form phrases; as, germ area, germ disc, germ membrane, germ nucleus, germ sac, etc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : germ
Spanish:
germen,
German:
der Krankheitserreger,
Japanese:
細菌
germ (n.)
1644, "rudiment of a new organism in an existing one," from M.Fr. germe, from L. germen (gen. germinis) "sprout, bud," from PIE base *gen- "to beget, bear" (cf. Skt. janman "birth, origin;" see genus). The original sense is preserved in wheat germ and germ of an idea; sense of "seed of a disease" first recorded 1803; that of "harmful microorganism" dates from 1871.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: germ
Pronunciation: 'j&rm
Function: noun
1 : a small mass of living substance capable of developing into an organism or one of itsparts
2 : MICROORGANISM; especially : a microorganism causing disease
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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germ (jûrm)
n.
- A small mass of protoplasm or cells from which a new organism or one of its parts may develop.
- A microorganism, especially a pathogen.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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| germ (jûrm) Pronunciation Key
A microscopic organism or agent, especially one that is pathogenic, such as a bacterium or virus. Our Living Language : The terms germ and microbe have been used to refer to invisible agents of disease since the nineteenth century, when scientists introduced the germ theory of disease, the idea that infections and contagious diseases are caused by microorganisms. Microbe, a shortening and alteration of microorganism, comes from the Greek prefix mikro-, "small," and the word bios, "life." Scientists no longer use the terms germ and microbe very much. Today they can usually identify the specific agents of disease, such as individual species of bacteria or viruses. To refer generally to agents of disease, they use the term pathogen, from the Greek pathos, "suffering," and the suffix -gen, "producer." They use microorganism to refer to any unicellular organism, whether disease-causing or not. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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