Did you know?
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
Edna Bonhomme, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
In this case, the stone absorbs and dissipates moisture while preventing the growth of microbes.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 6 Mar. 2025
And though some indoor environments might lack important microbes, the answer isn’t to avoid basic hygiene measures, either.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2025
And some microbes may get catapulted there by volcanoes.
—Carl Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for microbe
Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
Share