germ

microbe, germe

Être vivant minuscule, ou virus, qui peut provoquer une maladie.

En anglais simple : A very small living thing, or a virus, that can cause illness.

• Soap helps remove germs from your hands.
• Coughing can spread germs through the air.
• This cleaner kills most household germs.

Synonymes : pathogen

Expressions courantes : kill a germ, spread a germ, harmful germ

germe, embryon

Petite idée ou premier début à partir duquel quelque chose de plus important se développe.

En anglais simple : The first small idea or beginning from which something bigger develops.

• I have the germ of an idea.
• Her dream provided the germ of the story.
• Those early notes contained the germs of several later projects.

Comment l'utiliser : germ of something (That conversation contained the germ of a new project.)

Synonymes : seed, beginning, origin

Expressions courantes : germ of something, germ of an idea, germ of a plan

germe, embryon

Partie d’une graine qui peut se développer pour donner une nouvelle plante.

En anglais simple : The part of a seed that can grow into a new plant.

• She adds wheat germ to her breakfast.
• The germ can grow into a new plant.
• Processing the grain removes much of its germ.

Synonymes : embryo

Expressions courantes : wheat germ, seed germ, germ oil

germe, ébauche

Petit groupe de cellules à partir duquel se développe une partie du corps ou un nouvel être vivant.

En anglais simple : A small group of cells from which a body part or a new living thing develops.

• The tooth germ forms beneath the gum.
• The surgeon removed a wisdom tooth germ.
• These germs develop into different parts of the organism.

Comment l'utiliser : germ of something (The scan showed the germ of a developing tooth.)

Synonymes : primordium, bud

Expressions courantes : tooth germ, developing germ, germ of something