: a small mass of living substance capable of developing into a whole individual or one of its parts. : the embryo in the seed of a cereal (as corn or wheat) together with its cotyledon that is …

Look up germ in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

GERM definition: 1. a very small organism that causes disease: 2. a small amount, usually one that develops into…. Learn more.

The germ of something such as an idea is something which developed or might develop into that thing.

Mar 5, 2024 · There are germs, also called microbes, in the air; on food, plants and animals; and in the soil and water. Germs are on just about every surface, including the human body. Most …

The word germ has been used to refer to invisible agents of disease since the 19th century, when scientists were first learning about the nature of disease.

Definition of germ noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. [countable, usually plural] a very small living thing that can cause infection and disease. Disinfectant kills germs. Dirty …

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 …

Sep 5, 2025 · germ (plural germs) (biology) 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 …

This led to his germ theory of disease, which states that germs known as pathogens can lead to infection and disease. Before this discovery, scientists believed in the theory of spontaneous …