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microbe

2 synonyms and 0 antonyms for microbe, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A microorganism, especially one that causes disease; a germ.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

bug

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

How to use microbe

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

harmful microbes kill microbes gut microbes

Etymology

Borrowed from French microbe, built from Greek mikros ("small") and bios ("life") — literally "tiny life."

Full origin of microbe →

Frequently asked questions

What does “microbe” mean?

The word “microbe” means a microorganism, especially one that causes disease; a germ. In plain terms, a tiny living organism, usually a bacterium, too small to see without a microscope.

How do you pronounce “microbe”?

“Microbe” is pronounced MYK-rohb (/ˈmaɪkɹoʊb/ in IPA).

How do you use “microbe” in a sentence?

Here is “microbe” used in a sentence: “Washing your hands kills most microbes on the skin's surface.”

What part of speech is “microbe”?

“Microbe” is a noun.

Where does the word “microbe” come from?

The word “microbe” comes from French. Borrowed from French microbe, built from Greek mikros ("small") and bios ("life") — literally "tiny life.".

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.