microorganism

[ mahy-kroh-awr-guh-niz-uhm ]

/ ˌmaɪ kroʊˈɔr gəˌnɪz əm /

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See synonyms for microorganism on Thesaurus.com

noun

any organism too small to be viewed by the unaided eye, as bacteria, protozoa, and some fungi and algae.

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Origin of microorganism

First recorded in 1875–80; micro- + organism

OTHER WORDS FROM microorganism

mi·cro·or·gan·ic

[mahy-kroh-awr-gan-ik], /ˌmaɪ kroʊ ɔrˈgæn ɪk/, mi·cro·or·gan·is·mal, adjective

Words nearby microorganism

Micronesian, micronize, micronucleate, micronucleus, micronutrient, microorganism, microorganisms, micropalaeontology, micropaleontology, microparasite, micropathology

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use microorganism in a sentence

Think about a microorganism gathering to build a larger design.
PS5 designer: ‘When I started drawing, it was much larger’|Joe Moore|November 9, 2020|Washington Post
Gore has discovered rules that allow him to make predictions about simple micro-ecological systems, including the gut microorganisms of laboratory worms and bacterial communities in samples of soil.
A Physicist’s Approach to Biology Brings Ecological Insights|Gabriel Popkin|October 13, 2020|Quanta Magazine
As the months progressed and the sun rose higher, the team found that algal growth accelerated, reaching its peak growth rate for the year in April and May, despite the microorganisms still being covered by ice.
Trapped under ice, light-loving algae grow in the dark Arctic winter|Jonathan Lambert|September 25, 2020|Science News
There is a reason that biologists call the “biofilm” of microorganisms that cover moist surfaces “bacterial lawns.”
What the Meadow Teaches Us - Issue 90: Something Green|Andreas Weber|September 16, 2020|Nautilus

It would be prudent to consider the arms race between humans and microorganisms as a long-term affair, and not to take our apparent success for granted.
Our Genes May Explain Severity of COVID-19 and Other Infections|Monique Brouillette|July 27, 2020|Quanta Magazine
And the same thing happens when a Venerian is attacked by an Earthly microorganism.
Islands of Space|John W Campbell
A microorganism which apparently has a specific relationship to Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Handbook of Medical Entomology|William Albert Riley
The disease is caused by a microorganism and several bacteria have been suspected of being responsible.
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse|United States Department of Agriculture
Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus—a microorganism producing yellow pus.
Surgery, with Special Reference to Podiatry|Maximilian Stern
Staphylococcus pyogenes citreus—a microorganism producing lemon-colored pus.
Surgery, with Special Reference to Podiatry|Maximilian Stern

British Dictionary definitions for microorganism

microorganism

/ (ˌmaɪkrəʊˈɔːɡəˌnɪzəm) /

noun

any organism, such as a bacterium, protozoan, or virus, of microscopic size

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

Scientific definitions for microorganism

microorganism

[ mī′krō-ôr′gə-nĭz′əm ]

An organism that can be seen only with the aid of a microscope and that typically consists of only a single cell. Microorganisms include bacteria, protozoans, and certain algae and fungi. See Note at germ.

microorganism

Origin of microorganism

OTHER WORDS FROM microorganism

Words nearby microorganism

Words related to microorganism

How to use microorganism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for microorganism

Scientific definitions for microorganism