virus
see also: Virus
Etymology

From Middle English virus, from Latin vīrus, via rhotacism from itc-pro *weizos, from Proto-Indo-European *wisós.

Pronunciation
  • enPR: vīʹrəs, IPA: /ˈvaɪɹəs/
Noun

virus

  1. A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure consisting of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and often causes disease in the host organism; such agents are often classed as nonliving infectious particles and less often as microorganisms.
    Synonyms: Thesaurus:virus
    • 2001, Leslie Iversen, Drugs: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, page 64:
      Viruses are the smallest and most simplified forms of life.
  2. (uncountable) A quantity of such infectious agents
  3. (informal, metonymically) A disease caused by such an infectious agent; a viral illness.
    He's got a virus and had to stay home from school.
  4. (archaic) Venom, as produced by a poisonous animal etc.
  5. (computing) A type of malware which can covertly transmit itself between computers via networks (especially the Internet) or removable storage such as disks, often causing damage to systems and data; also computer virus.
  6. (computing, proscribed) Any type of malware.
  7. (figurative) Any malicious or dangerous entity that spreads from one place or person to another.
    • 2011, Pat Mesiti, The $1 Million Reason to Change Your Mind:
      I am tired of the mind viruses that are crippling people living in the western world — especially in my own nation. Sadly, Australia is becoming known as a nation of whingers.
Translations Translations Verb

virus (viruses, present participle virusing; simple past and past participle virused)

  1. (nonstandard, rare) To send or infect an electronic device with a computer virus.
    I'm just going to virus anyone who tries cheating on this game.

Virus
Proper noun
  1. The taxonomic kingdom made up of the viruses, submicroscopic non-cellular structures consisting of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that require a living host cell to replicate, and often cause disease in the host.



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