GERM


Meaning of GERM in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈjərm ]

noun

Etymology: French germe, from Latin germin-, germen, from gignere to beget — more at kin

Date: 1644

1.

a. : a small mass of living substance capable of developing into an organism or one of its parts

b. : the embryo with the scutellum of a cereal grain that is usually separated from the starchy endosperm during milling

2. : something that initiates development or serves as an origin : rudiments, beginning

3. : microorganism ; especially : a microorganism causing disease

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.