Part 475

Ger*ma"ni*um (?), n. [NL., fr. L. Germania Germany.] (Chem.) A rare element, recently discovered (1885), in a silver ore (argyrodite) at Freiberg. It is a brittle, silver-white metal, chemically intermediate between the metals and nonmetals, resembles tin, and is in general identical with the predicted ekasilicon. Symbol Ge. Atomic weight 72.3.

Ger`man*i*za"tion (?), n. The act of Germanizing. M. Arnold.

Ger"man*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Germanized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Germanizing (?).] To make German, or like what is distinctively German; as, to Germanize a province, a language, a society.

Ger"man*ize, v. i. To reason or write after the manner of the Germans.

||Ger*ma"ri*um (?), n. [NL. See Germ.] (Zoˆl.) An organ in which the ||ova are developed in certain Turbellaria.

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Ger"men (jr"mn), n.; pl. E. Germens (#), L. Germina (#). [L.] See Germ.

Ger"mi*ci`dal (jr"m*s`dal), a. Germicide.

Ger"mi*cide (jr"m*sd), a. [Germ + L. caedere to kill.] (Biol.) Destructive to germs; -- applied to any agent which has a destructive action upon living germs, particularly bacteria, or bacterial germs, which are considered the cause of many infectious diseases. -- n. A germicide agent.

Ger"mi*nal (?), a. [See Germ.] Pertaining or belonging to a germ; as, the germinal vesicle.

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.

||Ger`mi*nal" (?), n. [F. See Germ .] The seventh month of the French ||republican calendar [1792 -- 1806]. It began March 21 and ended April ||19. See Vend…miaire.

Ger"mi*nant (?), a. [L. germinans, p. pr.] Sprouting; sending forth germs or buds.

Ger"mi*nate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Germinated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Germinating.] [L. germinatus, p. p. of germinare to sprout, fr. germen. See Germ.] To sprout; to bud; to shoot; to begin to vegetate, as a plant or its seed; to begin to develop, as a germ. Bacon.

Ger"mi*nate, v. t. To cause to sprout. Price (1610).

Ger`mi*na"tion (?), n. [L. germinatio: cf. F. germination.] The process of germinating; the beginning of vegetation or growth in a seed or plant; the first development of germs, either animal or vegetable.

Germination apparatus, an apparatus for malting grain.

Ger"mi*na*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. germinatif.] Pertaining to germination; having power to bud or develop.

Germinative spot, Germinative vesicle. (Biol.) Same as Germinal spot, Germinal vesicle, under Germinal.

Ger`mi*par"i*ty (?), n. [Germ + L. parere to produce.] (Biol.) Reproduction by means of germs.

Germ"less, a. Without germs.

Ger"mo*gen (?), n. [Germ + - gen.] (Biol.) (a) A polynuclear mass of protoplasm, not divided into separate cells, from which certain ova are developed. Balfour. (b) The primitive cell in certain embryonic forms. Balfour.

Germ" plasm` (?), (Biol.) See Plasmogen, and Idioplasm.

Germ"ule (?), n. [Dim. fr. germ.] (Biol.) A small germ.

Gern (?), v. t. [See Grin.] To grin or yawn. [Obs.] "[/He] gaped like a gulf when he did gern." Spenser.

Ger"ner (?), n. A garner. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Ger`o*co"mi*a (?), n. [NL.] See Gerocomy.

Ger`o*com"ic*al (?), a. Pertaining to gerocomy. Dr. John Smith.