microbe
noun /ˈmaɪkrəʊb/
  /ˈmaɪkrəʊb/
 - an extremely small living thing that you can only see under a microscope and that may cause diseaseCollocations The living worldThe living worldAnimalsTopics Biologyc2
- animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)
 - fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
 - birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
 - insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
 - insects/bees/locusts swarm
 - bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
 - spiders spin/weave a web
 - snakes/lizards shed their skins
 - bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
 - insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
 - an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
 - attract/find/choose a mate
 - produce/release eggs/sperm
 - lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
 - inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
 - mark/enter/defend (a) territory
 - stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
 
- trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
 - a seed germinates/sprouts
 - leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
 - flower buds swell/open
 - a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something
 - pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
 - produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
 - produce/bear fruit
 - develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
 - provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
 - perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
 
- bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
 - bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something
 - bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease
 - bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)
 - a virus enters/invades something/the body
 - a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
 - be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
 - contain/carry/harbour bacteria/a virus
 - kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria
 
Word Originlate 19th cent.: from French, from Greek mikros ‘small’ + bios ‘life’.