# germ

> English word · Noun · IPA /d͡ʒɜːm/ · frequency rank #22,388

## Definitions
1. The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud, spore, or zygote.
2. The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud, spore, or zygote.
3. A pathogen: a pathogenic microorganism, such as a bacterium or virus.
4. The origin or earliest version of an idea or project.
5. An equivalence class that includes a specified function defined in an open neighborhood.

## Etymology
From Middle French germe, from Latin germen (“bud, seed, embryo”). Doublet of germen.

## Easily confused with
- **GM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gm)
- **GR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gr)
- **get** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-get)
- **gym** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gym)
- **gum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gum)
- **GSM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gsm)
- **GRE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gre)
- **GRU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gru)
- **GTR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gtr)
- **gro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gro)
- **gor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gor)
- **grr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-grr)
- **grt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-grt)
- **girl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-girl)
- **gets** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gets)
- **guru** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-guru)
- **gram** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gram)
- **gore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-gore)
- **grim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-grim)
- **Guam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/germ-vs-guam)

## Common misspellings (6)
`egrm`, `gemr`, `germm`, `gerrm`, `ggerm`, `grem`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/germ