GERM

[noun] [C usually plural] - a very small organism that causes diseaseWash your hands so you don't get germs on the food.Germs can be spread by rats.Places where medical operations are carried out should be kept as germ-free as possible.(figurative) Although there's a germ (= small amount) of truth in the story, it's mostly very exaggerated.(figurative) Looking for a way to make money, he found the germ of an idea (= an idea that might later develop into something large and important) in an old newspaper.See also wheat germ at wheat. (specialized) A germ cell is either a small part of an organism that can grow into a plant, animal, etc., or a gamete.Germ warfare (also biological warfare) is the use of germs during periods of war to cause disease among enemy soldiers or among crops in enemy countries.