a small amount, usually one that develops into something large or important

He found the germ of an idea in an old newspaper. 他的想法萌生于一份旧报纸。

This was the germ of the story that would later become her wildly successful novel.

It's thought that this diary entry was the germ of the book.

It was as a result of this conversation that the germ of a new approach emerged.

And that, really, was the germ of the whole thesis.

See also: germ (AMOUNT)