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# microorganism

noun (a microorganism, microorganisms)

«microorganism» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A living thing so tiny that you can only see it with a microscope, such as a bacterium, a virus (usually counted with them), some fungi like yeast, or algae. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/microorganism/#m1)

### In the lessons

In science, microorganisms (microbes) can be helpful — making bread rise, yogurt, cheese and compost, and living in your gut — or harmful, causing illness and making food go off. Hygiene lessons explain washing hands to remove harmful microorganisms. Phrases: «harmful microorganisms», «useful microorganisms», «under a microscope», «germs».

### Examples

- Yeast is a microorganism that makes bread dough rise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/microorganism/#x1)
- Some microorganisms cause food to go mouldy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/microorganism/#x2)
- Washing your hands with soap removes many harmful microorganisms. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/microorganism/#x3)
- We looked at pond water and saw microorganisms swimming under the microscope. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/microorganism/#x4)
- Bacteria in yogurt are helpful microorganisms. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/microorganism/#x5)
- Microorganisms in the compost heap break down leaves and peel. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/microorganism/#x6)
- Fridges slow down the growth of microorganisms. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/microorganism/#x7)

### Note

Countable: a microorganism, microorganisms. Also spelled «micro-organism» (common in the UK). Everyday words: «microbe», «germ» (germ usually means a harmful one). Myth: not all microorganisms are bad — most are harmless or helpful. Viruses are often grouped with microorganisms although scientists argue whether they are truly alive.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «microorganism» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/microorganism/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«microorganism» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/microorganism.html) on Mova free.