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.] ~ of sth an early stage of the development of sth:
Here was the germ of a brilliant idea. * The germ of the town was a single house near the river.
3 [C] (biology) the part of a plant or an animal that can develop into a new one
seealsoWHEATGERM
