germinal

[ jur-muh-nl ]

/ ˈdʒɜr mə nl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR germinal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

being in the earliest stage of development: germinal ideas.

of or relating to a germ or germs.

of the nature of a germ or germ cell.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

germen, germfree, germicide, germinability, germinable, germinal, germinal area, germinal cell, germinal center of flemming, germinal disk, germinal epithelium

Origin of germinal

1800–10; (< F) < Latin germin- (stem of germen sprout, bud; see germ) + -al¹

Related formsger·mi·nal·ly, adverbnon·ger·mi·nal, adjectivesub·ger·mi·nal, adjectivesub·ger·mi·nal·ly, adverb

Definition for germinal (2 of 2)

Germinal

[ jur-muh-nl; French zher-mee-nal ]

/ ˈdʒɜr mə nl; French ʒɛr miˈnal /

noun

(in the French Revolutionary calendar) the seventh month of the year, extending from March 21 to April 19.

(italics) a novel (1884) by Émile Zola.

Origin of Germinal

From French; see origin at germinal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for germinal

But the most fascinating sections are the germinal passages upon which Agee would build and elaborate in the final version.
Revisiting James Agee: Discovering the Original ‘Let Us Now Praise Famous Men’|Malcolm Jones|June 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Germinal by Émile Zola My favorite reportorial 19th-century novel.
Pulitzer Winner Jennifer Egan’s PEN Festival Book Bag|Jennifer Egan|April 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Thus, great size in an organism is likely to be produced at the expense of the germinal cell-forming molecules.
The Making of Species|Douglas Dewar
As the bone grows, the germinal layer of the epidermis grows with it.
Natural History of the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata Agassiz|John M. Legler

From the commencement of the month of Germinal the reorganisation of the army of Italy had proceeded with renewed activity.
Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, Complete|Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne
The significance of these differences depends largely on whether they are germinal, or merely the results of social tradition.
Applied Eugenics|Paul Popenoe and Roswell Hill Johnson
In the youngest egg which I had, the germinal disc was already divided into four segments by two furrows at right angles.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour

British Dictionary definitions for germinal (1 of 2)

germinal

/ (ˈdʒɜːmɪnəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, or like germs or a germ cell

of, or in the earliest stage of development; embryonic

Derived Formsgerminally, adverb

Word Origin for germinal

C19: from New Latin germinālis, from Latin germen bud; see germ

British Dictionary definitions for germinal (2 of 2)

Germinal

/ French (ʒɛrminal) /

noun

the month of buds: the seventh month of the French revolutionary calendar, from March 22 to April 20

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for germinal

germinal

adj.

1808, from Modern Latin germinalis "in the germ," from Latin germen (genitive germinis) "sprout, bud, sprig, offshoot" (see germ) + -al (1).

Medicine definitions for germinal

germinal

[ jûr′mə-nəl ]

adj.

Of, relating to, or having the nature of a germ cell.

Of, relating to, or occurring in the earliest stage of development of an embryo or organism.