Etymology Map
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Microbe

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a microorganism

Where does the word "microbe" come from? It comes from Greek mikros bios, passing through French before entering English (1881).

1
Stage 1 of 3
mikros bios
Greek · ancient
"small life"
Greek, 'mikros', small, plus 'bios', life
2
Stage 2 of 3
microbe
French · 1800s
"microbe"
coined by Charles Sédillot in 1878
3
Stage 3 of 3
microbe
English · 1881
"microorganism"
Pasteur's germ theory made it popular
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Read the full story

Microbe’s story begins in Greek: mikros bios meant “small life.” Greek, 'mikros', small, plus 'bios', life. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in French as microbe. Coined by Charles Sédillot in 1878. It reached English by 1881 as microbe. Pasteur's germ theory made it popular. Today, microbe means a microorganism.