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Burden vs. Germ — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Burden and Germ

Definitions

Burden

Something that is carried.

Germ

(Biology) A small mass of protoplasm or cells from which a new organism or one of its parts may develop.

Burden

Something that is emotionally difficult to bear.

Germ

The earliest form of an organism; a seed, bud, or spore.

Burden

A source of great worry or stress; weight
The burden of economic sacrifice rests on the workers of the plant.

Germ

A microorganism, especially a pathogen.

Burden

A responsibility or duty
The burden of organizing the campaign fell to me.

Germ

Something that may serve as the basis of further growth or development
The germ of a project.

Burden

A principal or recurring idea; a theme
"The burden of what he said was to defend enthusiastically the conservative aristocracy" (J.A. Froude).

Germ

(biology) The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud, spore, or zygote.

Burden

A drone, as of a bagpipe or pedal point.

Germ

The embryo of a seed, especially of a seed used as a cereal or grain. See Wikipedia article on cereal germ.

Burden

(Archaic) The chorus or refrain of a composition.

Germ

(biology) The small mass of cells from which a part of an organism develops, or a macroscopic but immature form of that part; a bud.
Surgical removal of germs of wisdom teeth

Burden

(Archaic) The bass accompaniment to a song.

Germ

A pathogen: a pathogenic microorganism, such as a bacterium or virus.

Burden

The amount of cargo that a vessel can carry.

Germ

(figurative) The origin or earliest version of an idea or project.
The germ of civil liberty

Burden

The weight of the cargo carried by a vessel at one time.

Germ

An equivalence class that includes a specified function defined in an open neighborhood.

Burden

The amount of a disease-causing entity present in an organism.

Germ

To germinate.

Burden

To cause difficulty or distress to; distress or oppress.

Germ

(slang) To grow, as if parasitic.

Burden

To load or overload.

Germ

That which is to develop a new individual; as, the germ of a fetus, of a plant or flower, and the like; the earliest form under which an organism appears.
In the entire process in which a new being originates . . . two distinct classes of action participate; namely, the act of generation by which the germ is produced; and the act of development, by which that germ is evolved into the complete organism.

Burden

A heavy load.

Germ

That from which anything springs; origin; first principle; as, the germ of civil liberty.

Burden

A responsibility, onus.

Germ

The germ cells, collectively, as distinguished from the somatic cells, or soma. Germ is often used in place of germinal to form phrases; as, germ area, germ disc, germ membrane, germ nucleus, germ sac, etc.

Burden

A cause of worry; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive.

Germ

A microorganism, especially a disease-causing bacterium or virus; - used informally, as, the don't eat food that falls on the floor, it may have germs on it.

Burden

The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry.
A ship of a hundred tons burden

Germ

To germinate.

Burden

(mining) The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin.

Germ

Anything that provides inspiration for later work

Burden

(metalworking) The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace.

Germ

A small simple structure (as a fertilized egg) from which new tissue can develop into a complete organism

Burden

A fixed quantity of certain commodities.
A burden of gad steel is 120 pounds.

Germ

A minute life form (especially a disease-causing bacterium); the term is not in technical use

Burden

A birth.
... that bore thee at a burden two fair sons.

Burden

(medicine) The total amount of toxins, parasites, cancer cells, plaque or similar present in an organism.

Burden

(music) A phrase or theme that recurs at the end of each verse in a folk song or ballad.

Burden

The drone of a bagpipe.

Burden

Theme, core idea.
The burden of the argument

Burden

(transitive) To encumber with a literal or figurative burden.
To burden a nation with taxes

Burden

(transitive) To impose, as a load or burden; to lay or place as a burden (something heavy or objectionable).

Burden

That which is borne or carried; a load.
Plants with goodly burden bowing.

Burden

That which is borne with labor or difficulty; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive.
Deaf, giddy, helpless, left alone,To all my friends a burden grown.

Burden

The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry; as, a ship of a hundred tons burden.

Burden

The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin.

Burden

The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace.

Burden

A fixed quantity of certain commodities; as, a burden of gad steel, 120 pounds.

Burden

A birth.

Burden

The verse repeated in a song, or the return of the theme at the end of each stanza; the chorus; refrain. Hence: That which is often repeated or which is dwelt upon; the main topic; as, the burden of a prayer.
I would sing my song without a burden.

Burden

The drone of a bagpipe.

Burden

A club.

Burden

To encumber with weight (literal or figurative); to lay a heavy load upon; to load.
I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened.

Burden

To oppress with anything grievous or trying; to overload; as, to burden a nation with taxes.
My burdened heart would break.

Burden

To impose, as a load or burden; to lay or place as a burden (something heavy or objectionable).
It is absurd to burden this act on Cromwell.

Burden

An onerous or difficult concern;
The burden of responsibility
That's a load off my mind

Burden

Weight to be borne or conveyed

Burden

The central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work

Burden

The central idea that is expanded in a document or discourse

Burden

Weight down with a load

Burden

Impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to;
He charged her with cleaning up all the files over the weekend

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