germs
germs — noun
1. tiny living things, too small to see without a microscope, that can enter the bo
tiny living things, too small to see without a microscope, that can enter the body and make people ill — most often bacteria or viruses.
Wash your hands with soap before dinner to get rid of germs.
collocation: get rid of germs
Noa caught a cold after the children at preschool passed germs around.
collocation: pass germs around (informal spreading)
The nurse wiped the counter with bleach to kill any germs left from the patient.
Doorknobs in shared offices are covered in germs by the end of the day.
Emre always sneezes into his elbow so he doesn't spread germs to his classmates.
文法句型
germs on/in [surface or body part]
spread/carry/catch germs
用法筆記
Used in everyday speech rather than scientific writing; researchers prefer 'bacteria', 'viruses', or 'pathogens'. Almost always plural — the singular 'germ' in this sense sounds odd unless paired with a modifier (e.g. 'a stomach germ').
常見錯誤
2. the first small signs or starting points of something — like an idea, plan, or m
the first small signs or starting points of something — like an idea, plan, or movement — that later grows much bigger or more important.
The germs of the protest movement appeared in small student meetings two years before.
pattern: the germs of [a movement] + later growth
Élise saw the germs of a novel in the strange story her grandfather told her.
pattern: see/find the germs of [an idea] in [a source]
Many great companies started from the germs of a single conversation over coffee.
Eshe wrote down the germs of every new design idea in a small notebook by her bed.
- beginnings
common everyday word; less suggestive of organic growth
- seeds
more vivid metaphor; emphasizes that it will grow if nurtured
- origins
more formal; focuses on the source point rather than growth
文法句型
the germs of [an idea/movement/something]
用法筆記
Always plural in this sense, and almost always followed by 'of + noun'. Distinguish from sense 1: this is figurative and abstract; the topic is ideas, plans, art, or movements, never illness.
常見錯誤
3. in biology, tiny pieces of living material — such as fertilised egg cells or pla
in biology, tiny pieces of living material — such as fertilised egg cells or plant embryos — that hold the potential to develop into a whole creature, or into specific body parts like a leaf or limb.
In a wheat seed, the germs grow into the young plant once the seed begins to sprout.
pattern: germs grow into [organism]
Ignacio studied how the germs inside a frog egg slowly form the heart and brain.
pattern: germs inside [an egg/cell] form [organ]
Scientists use very thin needles to remove the germs from each tiny egg cell.
Plant germs can stay alive for many years before they begin to grow.
- embryos
in plants and animals; refers to a slightly later developmental stage
- germ cells
more precise modern term used in biology textbooks
文法句型
germs of [an organism]
germs from which [tissue/organism] develops
用法筆記
Specialist biology term and very rare outside textbooks or research writing. Distinguish from sense 1 by topic: this sense is about cells that grow into new life, not microbes that cause disease.