germen

== English == === Etymology === From Latin germen (“germ, seed”). Doublet of germ. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdʒɜː.mən/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɝ.mən/ Homophone: German Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)mən === Noun === germen (plural germens or germina) (biology) The basic form of an organism; the seed or germ. === Anagrams === Mergen == Latin == === Etymology === From earlier *genmen via dissimilation, from Proto-Italic *genamen, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁mn̥ (“offspring”, “seed”), from the root *ǵenh₁- (“to beget”, “to give birth”). Equivalent to gignō (“to beget”) +‎ -men (noun-forming suffix). Compare with genimen. === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈɡɛr.mɛn] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈd͡ʒɛr.men] === Noun === germen n (genitive germinis); third declension shoot, sprout, bud Synonyms: pampinus, pullus germ, seed, origin embryo, fetus ==== Declension ==== Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem). ==== Derived terms ==== germānus germināscō germinō ==== Related terms ==== germinātiō germinātus ==== Descendants ==== === References === === Further reading === “germen”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press “germen”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers “germen”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette. == Romanian == === Alternative forms === germene === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin germen. === Noun === germen m (plural germeni) embryo Synonym: embrion (biology) seed, germ (small mass of cells from which an organism grows) germ Synonym: microb principle, element, component Synonyms: principiu, element ==== Declension ==== ==== Related terms ==== germina germinare germinat germinabil germinabilitate == Spanish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin germen (“germ, seed”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈxeɾmen/ [ˈxeɾ.mẽn] Rhymes: -eɾmen Syllabification: ger‧men === Noun === germen m (plural gérmenes) germen microbe, microorganism (figurative) seed, origin ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “germen”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025