Germ
English Meaning
That which is to develop a new individual; as, the germ of a fetus, of a plant or flower, and the like; the earliest form under which an organism appears.
- Biology A small mass of protoplasm or cells from which a new organism or one of its parts may develop.
- The earliest form of an organism; a seed, bud, or spore.
- A microorganism, especially a pathogen.
- Something that may serve as the basis of further growth or development: the germ of a project.