microbe

microbe — noun

1. an extremely tiny living thing visible only through a microscope; some microbes

1.名詞B2
釋義

an extremely tiny living thing visible only through a microscope; some microbes cause disease, but many are harmless or even vital to life

例句

Shanti examined the microbe sample through a laboratory microscope.

collocation: examine a microbe sample

Helpful microbes in the soil help plants take in nutrients.

location: in the soil

同義詞
  • microorganism

    more technical and broader; covers all microscopic life forms including fungi and protozoa

  • germ

    less formal and strongly associated with disease-causing organisms only

  • bacterium

    more specific; refers to single-celled organisms, a subset of microbes

文法句型

noun (usually plural): [determiner] + microbe(s)

用法筆記

Frequently used in the plural (microbes) as a general category. Less technical than 'microorganism' but more formal than 'germ'.

常見錯誤

❌I caught a microbe from my classmate.
✅I caught a virus from my classmate.
💡'Microbe' is a general category; we name the specific type (virus, bacteria) when describing an illness.
❌My doctor said microbes are always bad for me.
✅My doctor said not all microbes are harmful
💡some help with digestion.' — Many people wrongly assume all microbes cause disease.