microorganism

noun

mi·​cro·​or·​gan·​ism ˌmī-krō-ˈȯr-gə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce microorganism (audio)
: an organism (such as a bacterium or protozoan) of microscopic or ultramicroscopic size

Examples of microorganism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On the line was Jillian Banfield, a microbiologist on campus whose lab had developed a method to sequence the DNA of all the microorganisms living in a pinch of soil or an acidic drop of mine drainage. Megan Molteni, STAT, 21 Feb. 2024 Baum explained that this can happen when microorganisms enter an environment with optimal conditions for growing and dividing. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024 Those microorganisms can impact your immune response.6 Other Considerations Still, much of the research around diet and immunity hinges on dietary habits established before coming down with an illness. Sarah Garone, Health, 12 Jan. 2024 The presence of Lactobacillus, one of the most common microorganisms found in kefir and other probiotic foods, plays a role in managing stress in the body. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 19 Feb. 2024 In the depths of your eyes, a thriving metropolis of microorganisms exists, which could potentially revolutionize our understanding of eye health. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 For most of the world, the virus went its way, mutating cleverly, with the weird mimic intelligence of microorganisms. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 While the seemingly random shapes and textures of microorganisms inform much recent art, Buster’s current work appears more indebted to architecture and aeronautical design. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2024 Pay special attention to scales, crusty bits, or slimy areas of the machine—these textures all indicate the growth of potentially airway-irritating microorganisms. TIME, 24 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'microorganism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of microorganism was in 1880

Dictionary Entries Near microorganism

Cite this Entry

“Microorganism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microorganism. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

microorganism

noun
mi·​cro·​or·​gan·​ism ˌmī-krō-ˈȯr-gə-ˌniz-əm How to pronounce microorganism (audio)
: an organism (as a bacterium) of microscopic or less than microscopic size

Medical Definition

microorganism

noun
mi·​cro·​or·​gan·​ism -ˈȯr-gə-ˌniz-əm How to pronounce microorganism (audio)
: an organism of microscopic or ultramicroscopic size

More from Merriam-Webster on microorganism

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