definitions

microbe

[ mahy-krohb ]
/ ˈmaɪ kroʊb /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR microbe ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a microorganism, especially a pathogenic bacterium.

RELATED WORDS

microorganism, germ, virus, bug, bacterium, bacillus, pathogen, crud, plague

Nearby words

microbacteria, microbalance, microbar, microbarogram, microbarograph, microbe, microbead, microbicide, microbiology, microbiome, microbiomic

Origin of microbe

1880–85; < French < Greek mīkro- micro- + bíos life

Related forms

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

Examples from the Web for microbe

British Dictionary definitions for microbe

microbe

/ (ˈmaɪkrəʊb) /

noun

any microscopic organism, esp a disease-causing bacterium

Derived Forms

microbial, microbic or rare microbian, adjective

Word Origin for microbe

C19: from French, from micro- + Greek bios life
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

Medicine definitions for microbe

microbe

[ mī′krōb′ ]

n.

A microorganism, especially a bacterium that causes disease; a minute life form. No longer in technical use.

Related forms

mi•cro′bi•al (mī-krō′bē-əl) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for microbe

microbe

[ mī′krōb′ ]

A microorganism, especially a bacterium that causes disease. See Note at germ.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.