/ dʒɜːm; NAmE dʒɜːrm/ noun
1.
[ C , usually pl. ] a very small living thing that can cause infection and disease :
Disinfectant kills germs.
Dirty hands can be a breeding ground for germs.
2.
[ sing. ] germ of sth an early stage of the development of sth :
Here was the germ of a brilliant idea.
3.
[ C ] ( biology ) the part of a plant or an animal that can develop into a new one
—see also wheatgerm
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in sense 3): via Old French from Latin germen seed, sprout. Sense 1 dates from the late 19th cent.