Microbe
/ˈmaɪ.kroʊb/noun
A microscopic organism, especially a bacterium, virus, or fungus.
Did you know?“Microbe” was coined in 1878 by French surgeon Charles-Emmanuel Sédillot, who built it from Greek roots to replace older, less precise names for microscopic life.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mikrós
“small”
Ancient Greek
Greek
bíos
“life”
1878
French
microbe
“A microscopic living organism”
Late 19th Century
English
microbe
“A microscopic organism, especially one that causes disease”
Modern English
English
microbe
“A microscopic organism”
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