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A hint of the Greek word bios, meaning "life", can be seen in microbe. Microbes, or microorganisms, include bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae, amoebas, and slime molds. Many people think of microbes as simply the causes of disease, but every human is actually the host to billions of microbes, and most of them are essential to our life. Much research is now going into possible microbial sources of future energy; algae looks particularly promising, as do certain newly discovered or created microbes that can produce cellulose, to be turned into ethanol and other biofuels.
Examples of microbe in a Sentence
Becky Ferreira, WIRED, 25 June 2024
To the contrary, many forms of life—as varied as microbes, trees, and bipedal apes—have caused or exacerbated some of the worst crises in Earth history.
—Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024
No one knows this better than lichenologists, who study the symbiosis between fungi, algae and other microbes that form lichens.
—Corrado Nai, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2024
Researchers are searching for ways to shift the mix of microbes in ruminant guts to minimize methane emissions.
—Bob Holmes, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for microbe 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'microbe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near microbe
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“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
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