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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
Matt Fuchs, TIME, 6 Feb. 2025
Shedding these microbes onto an exercise mat versus a dumbbell is especially problematic, Tetro said, because exercise mats are like petri dishes.
—Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 25 Jan. 2025
When salty water is absorbed into the soil, sodium ions displace nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus, interfering with beneficial microbes.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Jan. 2025
Among these is a nasty little microbe encased in a Vulcan exoskeleton, histrionically played by Sven Ruygrok with an inexplicable Irish accent.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for microbe 
Dictionary Entries Near microbe
Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
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