germinal

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: ger=mi=nal

CIDE DICTIONARY

germinal, a. [See Germ.].

•  Pertaining or belonging to a germ; as, the germinal vesicle.  [1913 Webster]
•  Of or pertaining to the germ, or germ cells, as distinguished from the somatic cells.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Germinal layers (Biol.), the two layers of cells, the ectoblast and entoblast, which form respectively the outer covering and inner wall of the gastrula. A third layer of cells, the mesoblast, which is formed later and lies between these two, is sometimes included. -- Germinal membrane. (Biol.) Same as Blastoderm. -- Germinal spot (Biol.), the nucleolus of the ovum. -- Germinal vesicle, (Biol.) , the nucleus of the ovum of animals.

germinal, n. [F. See Germ .].

 The seventh month of the French republican calendar [1792 -- 1806]. It began March 21 and ended April 19. See VendÉmiaire.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

germinal, adj.
1 relating to or of the nature of a germ or germs (see GERM 1).
2 in the earliest stage of development.
3 productive of new ideas.

Derivative

germinally adv.

Etymology

L germen germin- sprout: see GERM

THESAURUS

germinal

aboriginal, atomic, basal, basic, central, conceptive, conceptual, corpuscular, creative, crucial, elemental, elementary, embryonic, esemplastic, evanescent, fattening, fecund, fecundative, fertile, fertilizing, fetal, fructificative, fundamental, generative, genetic, germinant, germinational, germinative, germiparous, granular, ideational, ideative, imaginative, impalpable, imperceptible, imponderable, in embryo, in ovo, in the bud, inappreciable, indiscernible, infinitesimal, ingenious, inspired, intangible, inventive, invisible, larval, life-giving, microcosmic, microscopic, molecular, multiparous, notional, original, originative, pregnant, primal, primary, primeval, primitive, primordial, pristine, procreant, procreative, productive, prolific, propagative, protogenic, radical, reproductive, richening, rudimentary, seminal, shaping, spermatic, spermatozoic, subatomic, teeming, tenuous, thin, ultramicroscopic, unseeable, visioned

ROGET THESAURUS

germinal

Cause

N cause, origin, source, principle, element, occasioner, prime mover, primum mobile, vera causa, author, mainspring, agent, leaven, groundwork, foundation, spring, fountain, well, font, fountainhead, spring head, wellhead, fons et origo, genesis, descent, remote cause, influence, pivot, hinge, turning point, lever, crux, fulcrum, key, proximate cause, causa causans, straw that breaks the camel's back, ground, reason, reason why, why and wherefore, rationale, occasion, derivation, final cause, les dessous des cartes, undercurrents, rudiment, egg, germ, embryo, bud, root, radix radical, etymon, nucleus, seed, stem, stock, stirps, trunk, tap-root, gemmule, radicle, semen, sperm, nest, cradle, nursery, womb, nidus, birthplace, hotbed, causality, causation, origination, production, caused, causal, original, primary, primitive, primordial, aboriginal, protogenal, radical, embryonic, embryotic, in embryo, in ovo, seminal, germinal, at the bottom of, connate, having a common origin, because, behind the scenes, causa latet vis est notissima, felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.