From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe germ of an idea/theory/feeling etcthe germ of an idea/theory/feeling etcBEGINNINGthe early stage of an idea, feeling etc that may develop into something bigger and more important The germ of a story began to form in his mind. → germ
Examples from the Corpus
the germ of an idea/theory/feeling etc• It represents the germ of an idea which someday might explode into a national objective. 