virus
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vi·rus
(vī′rəs)n. pl. vi·rus·es
1.
a. Any of various submicroscopic agents that infect living organisms, often causing disease, and that consist of a single or double strand of RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat. Unable to replicate without a host cell, viruses are typically not considered living organisms.
b. A disease caused by a virus.
2. A computer program or series of commands that can replicate itself and that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other files or programs which users later transfer to other computers. Viruses usually have a harmful effect, as in erasing all the data on a disk.
3. A harmful or destructive influence: the pernicious virus of racism.
[Latin vīrus, poison.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
virus
(ˈvaɪrəs)n, pl -ruses
1. (Microbiology) any of a group of submicroscopic entities consisting of a single nucleic acid chain surrounded by a protein coat and capable of replication only within the cells of living organisms: many are pathogenic
2. (Pathology) informal a disease caused by a virus
3. any corrupting or infecting influence
4. (Computer Science) computing an unauthorized program that inserts itself into a computer system and then propagates itself to other computers via networks or disks; when activated it interferes with the operation of the computer
[C16: from Latin: slime, poisonous liquid; related to Old English wāse marsh, Greek ios poison]
ˈvirus-ˌlike adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
vi•rus
(ˈvaɪ rəs)n., pl. -rus•es.
1. an ultramicroscopic (20 to 300 nm in diameter), metabolically inert, infectious agent that replicates only within the cells of living hosts, mainly bacteria, plants, and animals: composed of an RNA or DNA core, a protein coat, and, in more complex types, a surrounding envelope.
2. a disease caused by a virus.
3. a corrupting influence on morals or the intellect; poison.
4. a segment of self-replicating code planted illegally in a computer program, often to damage or shut down a system or network.
[1590–1600; < Latin vīrus slime, poison; akin to ooze2]
vi′rus•like`, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
vi·rus
(vī′rəs)1. Any of a large group of disease-causing agents consisting of a segment of RNA or DNA within a protein shell. All viruses are parasites because they can reproduce only inside the cells of plants, animals, and bacteria. Viruses are usually not considered living organisms.
2. Computer Science A computer program that is meant to disable or damage the computer's memory or to cause another program to malfunction. Computer viruses usually copy themselves over and over.
viral adjective
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
virus
- A Latin word meaning "poison" or "slimy liquid," it first meant "venom of a snake."See also related terms for poison.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
virus
1. An almost lifelike, extremely small particle made of protein and nucleic acid. It needs to parasitize a living cell in order to reproduce.
2. An unauthorized program that inserts itself into a computer’s data and interferes, often destructively, with the computer’s functioning.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | virus - (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 microorganism, micro-organism - any organism of microscopic size arborvirus, arbovirus - a large heterogeneous group of RNA viruses divisible into groups on the basis of the virions; they have been recovered from arthropods, bats, and rodents; most are borne by arthropods; they are linked by the epidemiologic concept of transmission between vertebrate hosts by arthropod vectors (mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, midges, etc.) that feed on blood; they can cause mild fevers, hepatitis, hemorrhagic fever, and encephalitis virion - (virology) a complete viral particle; nucleic acid and capsid (and a lipid envelope in some viruses) bacteriophage, phage - a virus that is parasitic (reproduces itself) in bacteria; "phage uses the bacterium's machinery and energy to produce more phage until the bacterium is destroyed and phage is released to invade surrounding bacteria" plant virus - a plant pathogen that is a virus consisting of a single strand of RNA animal virus - an animal pathogen that is a virus slow virus - a virus that remains dormant in the body for a long time before symptoms appear; "kuru is caused by a slow virus" tumor virus - a cell-free filtrate held to be a virus responsible for a specific neoplasm vector - (genetics) a virus or other agent that is used to deliver DNA to a cell virology - the branch of medical science that studies viruses and viral diseases infectious agent, infective agent - an agent capable of producing infection atrophic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism - a chronic autoimmune disease with inflammation of the joints and marked deformities; something (possibly a virus) triggers an attack on the synovium by the immune system, which releases cytokines that stimulate an inflammatory reaction that can lead to the destruction of all components of the joint |
| 2. | virus - a harmful or corrupting agency; "bigotry is a virus that must not be allowed to spread"; "the virus of jealousy is latent in everyone" delegacy, representation, agency - the state of serving as an official and authorized delegate or agent | |
| 3. |  virus - a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer; "a true virus cannot spread to another computer without human assistance"malevolent program - a computer program designed to have undesirable or harmful effects |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
virus
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
virus
فيروسفَيْرُوسفيروس في الكومبيوترفيروس، جُرْثومَهفيروسي، جُرْثومي
вирус
virus
virusvirvirový
virus
viruso
viirus
ویروس
virus
वायरस
virus
vírusvírusosszámítógépes vírus
virus
veiraveira, vírusveiru-
ウイルス
바이러스
virus
virusasvirusinis
vīrussdatorvirussvīrusa-
virus
vírusvírusový
virus
virusвирус
virus
เชื้อเชื้อไวรัสไวรัส
вірус
حُمہ
virusvi-rút
virus
[ˈvaɪərəs]A. N (viruses (pl)) (Med, Comput) → virus m inv
rabies virus → virus m inv de la rabia
the AIDS virus → el virus del SIDA
a computer virus → un virus informático
rabies virus → virus m inv de la rabia
the AIDS virus → el virus del SIDA
a computer virus → un virus informático
B. CPD virus disease N → enfermedad f vírica
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
virus
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
virus
(ˈvaiərəs) noun1. any of various types of germs that are a cause of disease.
2. a computer code that is inserted into a program to destroy information or cause errors.
adjectiveHe is suffering from a virus infection.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
virus
→ فَيْرُوس vir virus Virus ιός virus virus virus virus virus ウイルス 바이러스 virus virus wirus vírus вирус virus เชื้อไวรัส virüs vi-rút 病毒Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
virus
n (pl viruses) virus m; attenuated — virus atenuado; Epstein-Barr — (EBV) virus Epstein-Barr (VEB); flu — virus gripal or de la gripe; hepatitis B — (HBV), hepatitis C — (HCV), etc. virus de la hepatitis B (VHB), virus de la hepatitis C (VHC), etc.; herpes simplex — (HSV) virus herpes simple (VHS); human immunodeficiency — (HIV) virus de (la) inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH); human T-lymphotrophic — virus linfotrópico humano de células T; influenza — virus de (la) influenza; live — virus vivo; Norwalk — virus Norwalk; respiratory syncytial — virus respiratorio sincitial; varicella-zoster — virus varicela-zóster; West Nile — virus del Nilo OccidentalEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.