microorganism

== English == === Alternative forms === micro-organism, microörganism === Etymology === From micro- + organism. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌmaɪ.kɹəʊˈɔː.ɡəˌnɪz.m̩/ (US) IPA(key): /ˌmaɪ.kɹoʊˈɔɹ.ɡəˌnɪz.m̩/ === Noun === microorganism (plural microorganisms) (microbiology) An organism that is too small to be seen by the unaided eye; especially, a single-celled organism, such as a bacterium. Synonym: microbe ==== Usage notes ==== Whether viruses are alive, and thus whether they are microorganisms (microbes), is a matter of variable ontology; the semantic field of the word microorganism is often taken to include viruses in casual or broad terms, but not always in precise terms. GPO manual recommends using a hyphen to avoid doubling a vowel except after short prefixes. However, microorganism is several times more common than micro-organism in print and most dictionaries only have the spelling microorganism. ==== Translations ==== === See also === macroorganism === References === === Further reading === “microorganism”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. “microorganism”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. “microorganism”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000. == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French microorganisme. === Noun === microorganism n (plural microorganisme) microorganism ==== Declension ====