different between germ vs toxin

English

Etymology

From Middle French germe, from Latin germen (“bud, seed, embryo”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d????m/
• (General American) enPR: jûrm, IPA^(key): /d???m/
• Rhymes: -??(?)m

Noun

germ (plural germs)

1. (biology) The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud or spore.
2. A pathogenic microorganism.
3. The embryo of a seed, especially of a seed used as a cereal or grain. See Wikipedia article on cereal germ.
4. (figuratively) The origin of an idea or project.

   the germ of civil liberty
5. (mathematics) An equivalence class that includes a specified function defined in an open neighborhood.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

germ (third-person singular simple present germs, present participle germing, simple past and past participle germed)

1. To germinate.
   • 1909, Thomas Hardy, The Flirt's Tragedy

     Thus tempted, the lust to avenge me / Germed inly and grew.

2. (slang) To grow, as if parasitic.
   • 2011, Black Eyed Peas, Just Can't Get Enough

     I’m addicted, want to germ inside your love

See also

• bacteria
• microbe
• parasite
• virus

Further reading

• germ in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• germ in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *garmáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *g?armás, from Proto-Indo-European *g??or-mó-s. Cognate with Persian ???? (garm) and English warm.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -??m

Adjective

germ (comparative germtir, superlative germtirîn)

1. warm

Derived terms

• germahî

Zazaki

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *garmáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *g?armás, from Proto-Indo-European *g??or-mó-s. Cognate with Persian ???? (garm) and English warm.

Adjective

germ

1. warm

Derived terms

• germey
• germin
• germ?n

English

Etymology

From Latin toxicum, equivalent to toxi- +? -in.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?t?ks?n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?t?ks?n/
• Homophone: tocsin
• Rhymes: -?ks?n

Noun

toxin (plural toxins)

1. A toxic or poisonous substance produced by the biological processes of biological organisms.

   Antonym: antitoxin

2. (proscribed) A toxicant; a toxic substance in a body that needs to be removed.

Derived terms

• toxinic

Related terms

• toxic

Translations

Further reading

• toxin on Wikipedia.Wikipedia