- a microorganism, especially when disease-producing; microbe.
- a bud, offshoot, or seed.
- the rudiment of a living organism; an embryo in its early stages.
- the initial stage in development or evolution, as a germ cell or ancestral form.
- something that serves as a source or initial stage for subsequent development: the germ of an idea.
- of, relating to, or caused by disease-producing germs.
- a microorganism, esp one that produces disease in animals or plants
- the rudimentary or initial form of something
- a simple structure, such as a fertilized egg, that is capable of developing into a complete organism
