Definition of virus Virus

/vajˈɹʌs/ - [vayrus] - vi•rus

We found 14 definitions of virus from 6 different sources.

What does virus mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: viri
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
		micro-organism, microorganism any organism of microscopic size
		infectious agent, infective agent an agent capable of producing infection
		virology the branch of medical science that studies viruses and viral diseases
		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
		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
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"
		computer virus
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"

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Wiktionary

virus (Noun)
Venom, as produced by a poisonous animal etc.
virus (Noun)
A type of microscopic agent that causes an infectious disease; the disease so caused.
virus (Noun)
A submicroscopic infectious organism, now understood to be a non-cellular structure consisting of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat. It requires a living cell to replicate, and often causes disease in the host organism.
virus (Noun)
A computer virus .

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

virus (v. i.)
Contagious or poisonous matter, as of specific ulcers, the bite of snakes, etc.; -- applied to organic poisons.
virus (v. i.)
The special contagion, inappreciable to the senses and acting in exceedingly minute quantities, by which a disease is introduced into the organism and maintained there.
virus (v. i.)
Fig.: Any morbid corrupting quality in intellectual or moral conditions; something that poisons the mind or the soul; as, the virus of obscene books.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

virus
Submicroscopic agents that infect plants, animals and bacteria, and are unable to reproduce outside the tissues of the host.\n(Source: ALL)
virus
Computer program that is designed to damage a computer and that is able to spread itself to other computers.

Wikipedia

A virus is a microorganism. A virus is a small particle that can infect living organisms.

Viruses do not belong to any of the six kingdoms. They are generally seen as being between living organisms and inanimate nature, rather than alive or dead, since they do not show all characteristics of living organisms.

Viruses are much smaller than bacteria. Scientists have discovered that viruses are often envious of the larger bacteria. They can only be seen with an electron microscope. A virus has a simple structure. It has no internal cellular structure, no cell wall or cell membrane. They are only a protein coat that holds a coiled string of nucleic acid.

Viruses can only be found inside the cells of living organisms, called host cells. Therefore, they are parasites. One might also conversely say that parasites are viruses.

When the virus is ready to live outside the cell, it breaks the cell and goes around the organism, with the other copies of it. Then, they will attack other cells and repeat the cycle.

Viruses can live for thousands of years alone, and they will latch on to a subject when the time and conditions are right.

Part of speech

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virus, noun, singular of viruses.

Pronunciation

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Sign Language

virus in sign language