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Definition 2024


germ-fear

germ-fear

See also: germ fear

English

Alternative forms

Noun

germ-fear (plural germ-fears)

  1. The fear of germs and other pathogenic micro-organisms; germaphobia.
    • 1907, Indiana Academy of Science, Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science:
      It is thought that a wide understanding of facts regarding bodily resistance will tend to replace this unfortunate germ-fear by a rational faith in the body's marvelous powers.
    • 1932, Postage and the Mailbag:
      I am rapidly getting to the point where I shall consider anti-constipation advertisers and germ-fear implanters more dangerous public enemies than Al Capone.
    • 1982, San Francisco Review of Books:
      Krich suffers from pessimism, reluctance, bellyaching germ-fear, and a nagging disorientation of being out of whack.
    • 1983, William Darrach Halsey, Collier's Encyclopedia: With Bibliography and Index:
      Microphobia and Mysophobia. These phobias of germ fear and dirt fear, respectively, are closely allied.
    • 2002, Melvin A. Benarde, You've Been Had!:
      The obverse side of that germ-fear coin is the inculcation of fear of all microbes. The fact is, most microbes are not only harmless, they are beneficial, and we do not live in a sterile, germ-free world. We can't, and we shouldn't want to.
    • 2004, Ramona Dearing, So Beautiful:
      They get a kiss in before two mothers, germ-fear making them look angry, swoop the kids awav. Babies are crying, sleeping, sucking, cowboy-riding on knees, sticking their hands into their dads' mouths.

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See also