Etymology

microbe

M3I1C3R1O1B3E1

Today it means: Any microorganism; (loosely, nonscientifically) especially, a harmful bacterium. Full definition →

French microbe ← Ancient Greek μικρός
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromμικρός“small”
  2. French · borrowed frommicrobe
  3. English todaymicrobe

Borrowed from French microbe, from Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”) and βίος (bíos, “life”). By surface analysis, micro- + -obe.

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekμικρός all →

micromicroscopemicrobionmicrocephalicmicrodrilemicrolithicmicropachycephalosaurusmicropyle

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.