- (n.) That which is to develop a new individual; as, the germ of a fetus, of a plant or flower, and the like; the earliest form under which an organism appears.
- (v.i.) To germinate.
- (n.) That from which anything springs; origin; first principle; as, the germ of civil liberty.
- (n.) The germ cells, collectively, as distinguished from the somatic cells or soma. Germ is often used in place of germinal to form phrases; as, germ area, germ disc, germ membrane, germ nucleus, germ sac, etc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). Germ. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/germ/definitions/2012012 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "Germ" http://smartdefine.org/germ/definitions/2012012 (accessed September 24, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, Germ, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/germ/definitions/2012012>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "Germ" 27 May 2011. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/germ/definitions/2012012> |