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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From germ + fear.
Noun
germ-fear (plural germ-fears)
- The fear of germs and other pathogenic micro-organisms; germophobia.
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.
Synonyms
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