*germ*

n. [ Cousin + german closely akin. ] A first cousin. See Note under Cousin, 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. (Milling) To extract the germs from, as from wheat grains. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Milling) A machine for breaking open the kernels of wheat or other grain and removing the germs. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A sailor belonging to a dogger. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ From L. egerminare to sprout. ] To germinate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Hazard; peril. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. germe, fr. L. germen, germinis, sprout, but, germ. Cf. Germen, Germane. ] 1. (Biol.) That which is to develop a new individual; as, the germ of a fetus, of a plant or flower, and the like; the earliest form under which an organism appears. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the entire process in which a new being originates . . . two distinct classes of action participate; namely, the act of generation by which the germ is produced; and the act of development, by which that germ is evolved into the complete organism. Carpenter. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That from which anything springs; origin; first principle; as, the germ of civil liberty. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Biol.) The germ cells, collectively, as distinguished from the somatic cells, or soma. Germ is often used in place of germinal to form phrases; as, germ area, germ disc, germ membrane, germ nucleus, germ sac, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

4. A microorganism, especially a disease-causing bacterium or virus; -- used informally, as, the don't eat food that falls on the floor, it may have germs on it. [ PJC ]

Disease germ (Biol.), a name applied to certain tiny bacterial organisms or their spores, such as Anthrax bacillus and the Micrococcus of fowl cholera, which have been demonstrated to be the cause of certain diseases; same as germ{ 4 }. See Germ theory (below). --
Germ cell (Biol.), the germ, egg, spore, or cell from which the plant or animal arises. At one time a part of the body of the parent, it finally becomes detached, and by a process of multiplication and growth gives rise to a mass of cells, which ultimately form a new individual like the parent. See Ovum. --
Germ gland. (Anat.) See Gonad. --
Germ stock (Zool.), a special process on which buds are developed in certain animals. See Doliolum. --
Germ theory (Biol.), the theory that living organisms can be produced only by the evolution or development of living germs or seeds. See Biogenesis, and Abiogenesis. As applied to the origin of disease, the theory claims that the zymotic diseases are due to the rapid development and multiplication of various bacteria, the germs or spores of which are either contained in the organism itself, or transferred through the air or water. See Fermentation theory. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To germinate. [ R. ] J. Morley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Obs. ] See Germane. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. german, germain, F. germain, fr. L. germanus full, own (said of brothers and sisters who have the same parents); akin to germen germ. Cf. Germ, Germane. ] Nearly related; closely akin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Brother german. See Brother german. --
Cousins german. See the Note under Cousin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Germans ety>[ L. Germanus, prob. of Celtis origin. ] 1. A native or one of the people of Germany. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The German language. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (a) A round dance, often with a waltz movement, abounding in capriciosly involved figures. (b) A social party at which the german is danced. [ 1913 Webster ]

High German, the Teutonic dialect of Upper or Southern Germany, -- comprising Old High German, used from the 8th to the 11th century; Middle H. G., from the 12th to the 15th century; and Modern or New H. G., the language of Luther's Bible version and of modern German literature. The dialects of Central Germany, the basis of the modern literary language, are often called Middle German, and the Southern German dialects Upper German; but High German is also used to cover both groups. --
Low German, the language of Northern Germany and the Netherlands, -- including Friesic; Anglo-Saxon or Saxon; Old Saxon; Dutch or Low Dutch, with its dialect, Flemish; and Plattdeutsch (called also Low German), spoken in many dialects. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. Germanus. See German, n. ] Of or pertaining to Germany. [ 1913 Webster ]

German Baptists. See Dunker. --
German bit, a wood-boring tool, having a long elliptical pod and a scew point. --
German carp (Zool.), the crucian carp. --
German millet (Bot.), a kind of millet (Setaria Italica, var.), whose seed is sometimes used for food. --
German paste, a prepared food for caged birds. --
German process (Metal.), the process of reducing copper ore in a blast furnace, after roasting, if necessary. Raymond. --
German sarsaparilla, a substitute for sarsaparilla extract. --
German sausage, a polony, or gut stuffed with meat partly cooked. --
German silver (Chem.), a silver-white alloy, hard and tough, but malleable and ductile, and quite permanent in the air. It contains nickel, copper, and zinc in varying proportions, and was originally made from old copper slag at Henneberg. A small amount of iron is sometimes added to make it whiter and harder. It is essentially identical with the Chinese alloy packfong. It was formerly much used for tableware, knife handles, frames, cases, bearings of machinery, etc., but is now largely superseded by other white alloys. --
German steel (Metal.), a metal made from bog iron ore in a forge, with charcoal for fuel. --
German text (Typog.), a character resembling modern German type, used in English printing for ornamental headings, etc., as in the words, [ 1913 Webster ] ☞ This line is German Text. --
German tinder. See Amadou. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. germaunder, F. germandrée, It. calamandrea, L. chamaedrys, fr. Gr.&unr_;; &unr_; on the earth or ground + &unr_; tree. See Humble, and Tree. ] (Bot.) A plant of the genus Teucrium (esp. Teucrium Chamædrys or wall germander), mintlike herbs and low shrubs. [ 1913 Webster ]

American germander, Teucrium Canadense. --
Germander chickweed, Veronica agrestis. --
Water germander, Teucrium Scordium. --
Wood germander, Teucrium Scorodonia. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See German akin, nearly related. ] Literally, near akin; hence, closely allied; appropriate or fitting; relevant. [ 1913 Webster ]

The phrase would be more germane to the matter. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ An amendment ] must be germane. Barclay (Digest). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. Germanicus: cf. F. germanique. See German, n. ] 1. Of or pertaining to Germany; as, the Germanic confederacy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Teutonic. [ A loose sense ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, germanium. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. germanisme. ] 1. An idiom of the German language. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A characteristic of the Germans; a characteristic German mode, doctrine, etc.; rationalism. J. W. Alexander. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. L. Germania Germany. ] (Chem.) A rare element, discovered in 1885 in a silver ore (argyrodite) at Freiberg. It is a brittle, silver-white metal, chemically intermediate between the metals and nonmetals, resembles tin, and is in general identical with the predicted ekasilicon. Symbol Ge. Atomic number 32. Atomic weight 72.59. It has excellent semiconductor properties, and is used in transistors and diodes. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. The act of Germanizing. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To reason or write after the manner of the Germans. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Germanized p. pr. & vb. n. Germanizing ] To make German, or like what is distinctively German; as, to Germanize a province, a language, a society. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. able to communicate in the German language. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ NL. See Germ. ] (Zool.) An organ in which the ova are developed in certain Turbellaria. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Biol.) A cell, of either sex, directly concerned in the production of a new organism. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n.; pl. E. Germens L. Germina [ L. ] See Germ. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Germ + L. caedere to kill + -al. ] (Biol.) Destructive to germs; -- applied to any agent which has a killing action upon living microorganisms, particularly bacteria or viruses, which are the cause of many infectious diseases.
Syn. -- antiseptic. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. A germicidal agent. -- a. Germicidal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Germ. ] 1. Pertaining or belonging to a germ; as, the germinal vesicle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to the germ, or germ cells, as distinguished from the somatic cells. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Germinal layers (Biol.), the two layers of cells, the ectoblast and entoblast, which form respectively the outer covering and inner wall of the gastrula. A third layer of cells, the mesoblast, which is formed later and lies between these two, is sometimes included. --
Germinal membrane. (Biol.) Same as Blastoderm. --
Germinal spot (Biol.), the nucleolus of the ovum. --
Germinal vesicle, (Biol.) , the nucleus of the ovum of animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. See Germ . ] The seventh month of the French republican calendar [ 1792 -- 1806 ]. It began March 21 and ended April 19. See Vendémiaire. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. germinans, p. pr. ] Sprouting; sending forth germs or buds. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Germinated p. pr. & vb. n. Germinating. ] [ L. germinatus, p. p. of germinare to sprout, fr. germen. See Germ. ] To sprout; to bud; to shoot; to begin to vegetate, as a plant or its seed; to begin to develop, as a germ. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cause to sprout. Price (1610). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. germinatio: cf. F. germination. ] The process of germinating; the beginning of vegetation or growth in a seed or plant; the first development of germs, either animal or vegetable. [ 1913 Webster ]

Germination apparatus, an apparatus for malting grain. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. germinatif. ] Pertaining to germination; having power to bud or develop. [ 1913 Webster ]

Germinative spot,
Germinative vesicle. (Biol.) Same as Germinal spot, Germinal vesicle, under Germinal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Germ + L. parere to produce. ] (Biol.) Reproduction by means of germs. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without germs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Germ + -gen. ] (Biol.) (a) A polynuclear mass of protoplasm, not divided into separate cells, from which certain ova are developed. Balfour. (b) The primitive cell in certain embryonic forms. Balfour. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Biol.) See Plasmogen, and Idioplasm. [ 1913 Webster ]

. 1. (Biol.) The theory that living organisms can be produced only by the development of living germs. Cf. Biogenesis, Abiogenesis. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. (Med.) The theory which attributes contagious and infectious diseases, suppurative lesions, etc., to the agency of germs, i.e. pathogenic microorganisms. The science of bacteriology was developed after this theory had been established. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

n. [ Dim. fr. germ. ] (Biol.) A small germ. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Indo- + Germanic. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Same as Aryan, and Indo-European. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to or denoting the Teutonic family of languages as related to the Sanskrit, or derived from the ancient Aryan language. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cause to germinate. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n.; pl. Jungermanniæ [ NL. Named after Ludwig Jungermann, a German botanist. ] (Bot.) A genus of hepatic mosses, now much circumscribed, but formerly comprising most plants of the family, which is sometimes therefore called Jungermanniaceæ. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A natural family of plants comprising the leafy members of the order Jungermanniales.
Syn. -- family Jungermanniaceae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

prop. n. A large order of chiefly tropical liverworts.
Syn. -- order Jungermanniales. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. [ Pref. re- + germinate: cf. L. regerminare. ] To germinate again. [ 1913 Webster ]

Perennial plants regerminate several years successively. J. Lee. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. regerminatio. ] A germinating again or anew. [ 1913 Webster ]