germ — OAT · Shobdo

germ

noun

1 the powerful cleansing action kills germs as well:

microbe, microorganism, bacillus, bacterium, virus;

informal bug.

2 a fertilized germ:

embryo, bud, nucleus, seed, spore, egg, ovum;

technical ovule.

3 he had the germ of a brilliant idea:

start, beginning(s), commencement, starting point, genesis, inception, seed, embryo, bud, root, rudiment, origin, source, fountain, potential (for);

core, nucleus, heart, kernel, nub, essence;

Latin fons et origo;

literary fountainhead, wellspring, fount.

word links	germ
germicide substance that destroys germs