English Explanatory Dictionary

germinal

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Relating to spring
  2. Pertaining, similar, or belonging to a germ.
  3. Relating to a plant ovary.
  4. Serving as a point of origin; formative.
  5. Highly influential; seminal.
name
  1. The seventh month of the French Republican Calendar, starting on the date of the vernal equinox (March 21 or 22) and ending on April 19 or 20.

Pronunciation

/ˈdʒɜː(ɹ)mɪnəl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-germinal.wav /ˈdʒɜːmɪnəl/ /ˈd͡ʒɝmənəl/

Word forms

germinal more germinal most germinal Germinals

Etymology

From Middle French germe, from Latin germen (“bud, seed, embryo”). Doublet of germen. From earlier *genmen via dissimilation, from Proto-Italic *genamen, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁mn̥ (“offspring”, “seed”), from the root *ǵenh₁- (“to beget”, “to give birth”). Compare with genimen.

Synonyms

vernal seminal

Related words

franc germinal

Derived words

abgerminal adgerminal bigerminal germinal cell germinal center germinal centre germinal disc germinal disk germinal epithelium germinally germinal matrix germinal membrane germinal spot germinal vesicle nongerminal postgerminal subgerminal
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