germ

Latin

seed, microorganism

Your mastery

About This Root

From Latin germen (sprout, bud, seed, embryo). Dual meaning in English: the biological "seed" sense gives germinate (to sprout) and germination; the medical "microorganism" sense gives germ (a disease-causing agent) and germicide (germ-killer). The semantic shift from "life-giving seed" to "disease agent" reflects the discovery that invisible organisms cause illness.

Checking your access…

Associated Words · 3

Filter:

germ

A pathogenic microorganism; the earliest stage of an organism; the origin of an idea

germinate

Of a seed, to begin to sprout and grow

germicide

A substance that kills pathogenic microorganisms; a disinfectant