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germen

germ, microbe

noun HER-men Rare

Origin: From Latin germen (sprout, bud, seed).

Also means

seed, kernel (of an idea)

Usage Note

Germen has two main registers: in biology it means a microorganism or pathogen, while in a figurative sense it refers to the embryonic origin of something, as in el germen de una idea ('the seed of an idea'). Its plural is gérmenes, which shifts the accent mark to maintain stress on the same syllable. Do not confuse with germano (German).

Examples

"El germen causó una infección grave."

Natural Translation

The germ caused a serious infection.

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