Virus: meaning, definitions and examples

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virus

 

[ หˆvaษชrษ™s ]

Context #1 | Noun

infectious disease

A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses can infect all types of life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea.

Synonyms

infection, microorganism, pathogen

Examples of usage

  • Scientists are studying the virus to develop a vaccine.
  • The flu virus spreads easily from person to person.
  • The computer virus infected the entire network.
Context #2 | Noun

computer technology

A virus is a piece of code that is capable of copying itself and typically has a detrimental effect, such as corrupting the system or destroying data.

Synonyms

malware, trojan, worm

Examples of usage

  • Make sure to update your antivirus software to protect your computer from viruses.
  • The email attachment contained a malicious virus.
  • The virus caused the computer to crash.

Translations

Translations of the word "virus" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น vรญrus

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคตเคพเคฏเคฐเคธ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Virus

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ virus

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฒั–ั€ัƒั

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ wirus

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ใ‚ฆใ‚คใƒซใ‚น

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท virus

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ virus

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท virรผs

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋ฐ”์ด๋Ÿฌ์Šค

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ููŠุฑูˆุณ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ virus

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ vรญrus

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ็—…ๆฏ’

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ virus

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ veira

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะฒะธั€ัƒั

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ•แƒ˜แƒ แƒฃแƒกแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ virus

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ virus

Etymology

The word 'virus' originates from the Latin word meaning 'poison' or 'slime'. Initially, it was used in the late 14th century to describe a venomous substance. The modern biological sense of virus, as an infectious agent, emerged in the late 19th century through the work of scientists studying diseases like rabies and smallpox.

See also: antivirus.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,221, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.