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microbiology

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Pronunciation

  • /ˌmʌɪkrə(ʊ)bʌɪˈɒlədʒi/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English micro- + biology,[2][3][4][5][6] as an international scientific word.[7] The OED compares French microbiologie, recorded from 1883.[2] Micro- goes back to Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”),[3][1] and biology to βίος (bíos, “life”) with -logy;[3] biology itself was proposed in 1802 by Treviranus in German and by Lamarck in French.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The branch of science that deals with microorganisms: 1880, in the journal Science (25 September).[2][3][7] Barnhart dates the word to 1888, and microbiologist to 1885.[4]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its meaning, the study of microscopic forms of life such as bacteria, protozoa, viruses and fungi;[7][8] the OED adds the study of the microorganisms connected with a particular disease, place or the like, usually with a defining word, as in soil microbiology.[2] The adjective microbiological is recorded from 1897.[4]

Timeline

  • 1880 – the science of microorganisms.[2][3][7] Barnhart dates the word to 1888.[4]
  • 1885 – microbiologist.[4]
  • 1897 – microbiological.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The branch of biology that studies microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi.[8][7][2]
  2. The microorganisms of a particular place, disease or the like, or their study.[2]

Word family

  • microbiological
  • microbiologically
  • microbiologist
  • microbe
  • microorganism
  • bacteriology
  • biology

Usage notes

The OED notes an observation that the first i of the word is said both short and long, though it finds the short pronunciation of that syllable not otherwise recorded for this word.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  5. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
  7. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  8. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins