English

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Etymology

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From microbe +‎ -ial.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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microbial (not comparable)

  1. Of, relating to, or caused by microbes or microorganisms.
    • 2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:
      Many genes with reproductive roles also have antibacterial and immune functions, which indicate that the threat of microbial attack on the sperm or egg may be a major influence on rapid evolution during reproduction.
  2. Small; tiny; minuscule.
    • 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 191:
      As I say, one must not blame the Christians too much for all this - partly because, after the communal periods which I have just mentioned, Christianity was evidently deeply influenced by the rise of Commercialism to which during the last two centuries it has so carefully and piously adapted itself; and partly because - if our view is anywhere near right - this microbial injection of self-consciousness was just the necessary work which (in conjunction with commercialism) it had to perform.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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microbial (plural microbials)

  1. A microbe or bacterium.

Anagrams

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Portuguese

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Pronunciation

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  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˌmi.kɾo.biˈaw/ [ˌmi.kɾo.bɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /ˌmi.kɾoˈbjaw/ [ˌmi.kɾoˈbjaʊ̯]
 
  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˌmi.kɾɔˈbjal/ [ˌmi.kɾɔˈβjaɫ]
    • (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /ˌmi.kɾɔˈbja.li/ [ˌmi.kɾɔˈβja.li]

  • Hyphenation: mi‧cro‧bi‧al

Adjective

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microbial m or f (plural microbiais)

  1. microbial (relating to microbes)
    Synonyms: micróbico, microbiano

Spanish

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /mikɾoˈbjal/ [mi.kɾoˈβ̞jal]
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: mi‧cro‧bial

Adjective

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microbial m or f (masculine and feminine plural microbiales)

  1. microbial