- source, seed, germ - anything that provides inspiration for later work
--1 is a kind of inspiration
--1 has particulars: taproot; museDerived form: verb germinate2 - germ - a small simple structure (as a fertilized egg) from which new tissue can develop into a complete organism
--2 is a kind of structure, anatomical structure, complex body part, bodily structure, body structure
Derived form: verb germinate1 - microbe, bug, germ - a minute life form (especially a disease-causing bacterium); the term is not in technical use
--3 is a kind of microorganism