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Virus
Definitions
- 1 A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure that consists of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and that sometimes causes disease in the host organism (such agents are often classed as nonliving infectious particles and less often as microorganisms). countable, uncountable
"Viruses are the smallest and most simplified forms of life."
- 2 (virology) ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic; a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein wordnet
- 3 A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure that consists of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and that sometimes causes disease in the host organism (such agents are often classed as nonliving infectious particles and less often as microorganisms).; A species thereof. countable, uncountable
"Meronym: virion (individual particle)"
- 4 a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer wordnet
- 5 A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure that consists of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and that sometimes causes disease in the host organism (such agents are often classed as nonliving infectious particles and less often as microorganisms).; An individual particle thereof: synonym of virion. countable, uncountable
"Under electron microscopy, a few viruses were seen floating near the cells."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a harmful or corrupting agency wordnet
- 7 A quantity of such infectious agents, considered en masse. uncountable
"Not much virus was detectable on a nucleic acid test; the viral load was very low."
- 8 A disease caused by such an infectious agent; a viral illness. countable, informal, metonymically, uncountable
"He's got a virus and had to stay home from school."
- 9 Venom, as produced by a poisonous animal etc. archaic, countable, uncountable
"Brazil, that inferno where every budding flower and every buzzing bluebottle fly bears a lascivious virus."
- 10 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. countable, uncountable
"Wait a minute! Is this one of those virus emails?!"
- 11 Any type of malware. countable, proscribed, uncountable
- 12 Any malicious or dangerous entity that spreads from one place or person to another. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"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."
- 1 To send or infect an electronic device with a computer virus. nonstandard, rare
"I'm just going to virus anyone who tries cheating on this game."
Etymology
From Middle English virus, from Latin vīrus (“poison, slime, venom”), via rhotacism from Proto-Italic *weizos, from Proto-Indo-European *wisós (“fluidity, slime, poison”). First use in the computer context by David Gerrold in his 1972 book When HARLIE Was One.
From Middle English virus, from Latin vīrus (“poison, slime, venom”), via rhotacism from Proto-Italic *weizos, from Proto-Indo-European *wisós (“fluidity, slime, poison”). First use in the computer context by David Gerrold in his 1972 book When HARLIE Was One.
See also for "virus"
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