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A hint of the Greek word bios, meaning "life", can be seen in microbe. Microbes, or microorganisms, include bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae, amoebas, and slime molds. Many people think of microbes as simply the causes of disease, but every human is actually the host to billions of microbes, and most of them are essential to our life. Much research is now going into possible microbial sources of future energy; algae looks particularly promising, as do certain newly discovered or created microbes that can produce cellulose, to be turned into ethanol and other biofuels.
Examples of microbe in a Sentence
David Szondy
june 27,
New Atlas,
27 June 2026
Researchers have found that whole-food, plant-forward diets support gut microbes that use nitrogen efficiently, while also providing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
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Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
27 June 2026
Organic carbon in rocks ranges from visible debris from fossil leaves and wood to molecular remains of plankton, algae, and microbes.
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Howard Lee,
ArsTechnica,
26 June 2026
What the gut microbiome test results showed The companies gave very different answers about which microbes were present, even though every sample was identical.
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Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for microbe
Cite this Entry
“Microbe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microbe. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
microbe
noun
Medical Definition
microbe
noun
