virus

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See also: Virus, vírus, vīrus, vīruss, virüs, and -virus

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
Wikispecies has information on:

Wikispecies

The virions that carry the Marburg virus

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.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: vīʹrəs, IPA(key): /ˈvaɪɹəs/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪɹəs

Noun

virus (countable and uncountable, plural viruses or (rare) virusses or (rare) vira or (proscribed) viri or (proscribed) virii)

  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).
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:virus
    • 2001, Leslie Iversen, Drugs: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, page 64:
      Viruses are the smallest and most simplified forms of life.
    • 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:
      Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola.
    1. A species thereof.
      Meronym: virion (individual particle)
      Some viruses, such as norovirus, cause sporadic outbreaks of gastroenteritis.
    2. (occasionally proscribed) An individual particle thereof: synonym of virion.
      Under electron microscopy, a few viruses were seen floating near the cells.
  2. (uncountable) A quantity of such infectious agents, considered en masse.
    Not much virus was detectable on a nucleic acid test; the viral load was very low.
  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.
    • 1890, Aluísio Azevedo, The Slum:
      Brazil, that inferno where every budding flower and every buzzing bluebottle fly bears a lascivious virus.
  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.

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

Computing
Virology

Derived terms

Virology

Descendants

Translations

Verb

virus (third-person singular simple present 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.

See also

Further reading

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin vīrus.

Pronunciation

Noun

virus m (plural virus)

  1. virus

Azerbaijani

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin vīrus.

Noun

virus (definite accusative virusu, plural viruslar)

  1. (medicine) virus
  2. (computing) computer virus

Declension

    Declension of virus
singular plural
nominative virus
viruslar
definite accusative virusu
virusları
dative virusa
viruslara
locative virusda
viruslarda
ablative virusdan
viruslardan
definite genitive virusun
virusların
    Possessive forms of virus
nominative
singular plural
mənim (my) virusum viruslarım
sənin (your) virusun virusların
onun (his/her/its) virusu virusları
bizim (our) virusumuz viruslarımız
sizin (your) virusunuz viruslarınız
onların (their) virusu or virusları virusları
accusative
singular plural
mənim (my) virusumu viruslarımı
sənin (your) virusunu viruslarını
onun (his/her/its) virusunu viruslarını
bizim (our) virusumuzu viruslarımızı
sizin (your) virusunuzu viruslarınızı
onların (their) virusunu or viruslarını viruslarını
dative
singular plural
mənim (my) virusuma viruslarıma
sənin (your) virusuna viruslarına
onun (his/her/its) virusuna viruslarına
bizim (our) virusumuza viruslarımıza
sizin (your) virusunuza viruslarınıza
onların (their) virusuna or viruslarına viruslarına
locative
singular plural
mənim (my) virusumda viruslarımda
sənin (your) virusunda viruslarında
onun (his/her/its) virusunda viruslarında
bizim (our) virusumuzda viruslarımızda
sizin (your) virusunuzda viruslarınızda
onların (their) virusunda or viruslarında viruslarında
ablative
singular plural
mənim (my) virusumdan viruslarımdan
sənin (your) virusundan viruslarından
onun (his/her/its) virusundan viruslarından
bizim (our) virusumuzdan viruslarımızdan
sizin (your) virusunuzdan viruslarınızdan
onların (their) virusundan or viruslarından viruslarından
genitive
singular plural
mənim (my) virusumun viruslarımın
sənin (your) virusunun viruslarının
onun (his/her/its) virusunun viruslarının
bizim (our) virusumuzun viruslarımızın
sizin (your) virusunuzun viruslarınızın
onların (their) virusunun or viruslarının viruslarının

Further reading

  • virus” in Obastan.com.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vīrus.

Pronunciation

Noun

virus m (invariable)

  1. virus

Cornish

Pronunciation

Noun

virus m (plural virusys)

  1. virus

References

  • Cornish-English Dictionary from Maga's Online Dictionary
  • Akademi Kernewek Gerlyver Kernewek (FSS) Cornish Dictionary (SWF) (in Cornish), 2018, published 2018, page 190

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian вирус (virus).

Noun

virus

  1. (virology) virus

Declension

Declension of virus
singular plural
nominative virus viruslar
genitive virusnıñ viruslarnıñ
dative virusqa viruslarğa
accusative virusnı viruslarnı
locative virusta viruslarda
ablative virustan viruslardan

References

Czech

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vīrus.

Pronunciation

Noun

virus m inan

  1. (virology) virus (a submicroscopic, non-cellular structure)
  2. (computing) virus (a type of computer malware)

Declension

Further reading

  • virus”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
  • virus”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
  • virus in Akademický slovník cizích slov, 1995, at prirucka.ujc.cas.cz

Danish

Etymology

From Latin vīrus.

Noun

virus c or n (singular definite virussen or virusset, plural indefinite virus or virusser or vira, plural definite virussene or virusserne or viraene)

  1. virus

Dutch

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Etymology

From Latin vīrus. Coined in the virological sense by Martinus Beijerinck; the word had been previously used for pathogens, although not for viruses in the modern sense. The computing sense derives from English virus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈviː.rʏs/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: vi‧rus

Noun

virus n (plural virussen, diminutive virusje n)

  1. (microbiology) virus
  2. (computer science) virus (computer virus)

Usage notes

Like most Latin borrowings, this word kept its original Latin gender (neuter); it is one of the few Dutch words ending in -us which is not masculine; cf. also corpus and opus. Marginally, use as a masculine noun is sometimes erroneously encountered, indeed based on the ending.

Derived terms

Finnish

Etymology

From Latin vīrus.

Pronunciation

Noun

virus

  1. virus
  2. (computer security) virus (computer virus)

Declension

Inflection of virus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
nominative virus virukset
genitive viruksen virusten
viruksien
partitive virusta viruksia
illative virukseen viruksiin
singular plural
nominative virus virukset
accusative nom. virus virukset
gen. viruksen
genitive viruksen virusten
viruksien
partitive virusta viruksia
inessive viruksessa viruksissa
elative viruksesta viruksista
illative virukseen viruksiin
adessive viruksella viruksilla
ablative virukselta viruksilta
allative virukselle viruksille
essive viruksena viruksina
translative virukseksi viruksiksi
abessive viruksetta viruksitta
instructive viruksin
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of virus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative virukseni virukseni
accusative nom. virukseni virukseni
gen. virukseni
genitive virukseni virusteni
viruksieni
partitive virustani viruksiani
inessive viruksessani viruksissani
elative viruksestani viruksistani
illative virukseeni viruksiini
adessive viruksellani viruksillani
ablative virukseltani viruksiltani
allative virukselleni viruksilleni
essive viruksenani viruksinani
translative viruksekseni viruksikseni
abessive viruksettani viruksittani
instructive
comitative viruksineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative viruksesi viruksesi
accusative nom. viruksesi viruksesi
gen. viruksesi
genitive viruksesi virustesi
viruksiesi
partitive virustasi viruksiasi
inessive viruksessasi viruksissasi
elative viruksestasi viruksistasi
illative virukseesi viruksiisi
adessive viruksellasi viruksillasi
ablative virukseltasi viruksiltasi
allative viruksellesi viruksillesi
essive viruksenasi viruksinasi
translative virukseksesi viruksiksesi
abessive viruksettasi viruksittasi
instructive
comitative viruksinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative viruksemme viruksemme
accusative nom. viruksemme viruksemme
gen. viruksemme
genitive viruksemme virustemme
viruksiemme
partitive virustamme viruksiamme
inessive viruksessamme viruksissamme
elative viruksestamme viruksistamme
illative virukseemme viruksiimme
adessive viruksellamme viruksillamme
ablative virukseltamme viruksiltamme
allative viruksellemme viruksillemme
essive viruksenamme viruksinamme
translative virukseksemme viruksiksemme
abessive viruksettamme viruksittamme
instructive
comitative viruksinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative viruksenne viruksenne
accusative nom. viruksenne viruksenne
gen. viruksenne
genitive viruksenne virustenne
viruksienne
partitive virustanne viruksianne
inessive viruksessanne viruksissanne
elative viruksestanne viruksistanne
illative virukseenne viruksiinne
adessive viruksellanne viruksillanne
ablative virukseltanne viruksiltanne
allative viruksellenne viruksillenne
essive viruksenanne viruksinanne
translative virukseksenne viruksiksenne
abessive viruksettanne viruksittanne
instructive
comitative viruksinenne

Derived terms

compounds

Further reading

Anagrams

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vīrus.

Pronunciation

Noun

virus m (plural virus)

  1. virus

Derived terms

Further reading

Galician

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vīrus (poison, slime, venom).

Noun

virus m (invariable)

  1. virus (pathogen)
  2. computer virus

Indonesian

Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia id

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch virus, from Latin vīrus (poison, slime, venom), via rhotacism from Proto-Italic *weizos, from Proto-Indo-European *wisós (fluidity, slime, poison). Doublet of bisa.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈfi.rʊs/
  • Rhymes: -rʊs
  • Hyphenation: vi‧rus

Noun

virus

  1. 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.
    2. (uncountable) a quantity of such infectious agents.
    3. (metonymically) a disease caused by such an infectious agent; a viral illness.
    4. (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.
    5. (computing) any type of malware.

Hyponyms

Computing
Virology

Derived terms

Further reading

Interlingua

Noun

virus (plural viruses)

  1. virus

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vīrus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈvi.rus/
  • Rhymes: -irus
  • Hyphenation: vì‧rus

Noun

virus m (invariable)

  1. (virology) virus

Further reading

  • virus in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Ladino

Pronunciation

Noun

virus m (Latin spelling)

  1. virus
    • 2018 February 7, Dora Niyego, “El Antisemitizmo De Oy”, in Şalom:
      El antisemitizmo es un prejudizio, komo un virus.
      Antisemitism is a prejudice, like a virus.

Latin

Latin Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia la

Etymology

    Via rhotacism from Proto-Italic *weizos, from Proto-Indo-European *wisós (fluidity, slime, poison). Cognates include Sanskrit विष (viṣá), Ancient Greek ἰός (iós, poison), Tocharian B wase, and Middle Irish . The neuter gender of this term despite its nominative singular ending in the masculine second-declension -us is possibly a relic of this term's inheritance from a neuter s-stem.[1]

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    vīrus n sg (genitive vīrī); second declension

    1. venom (a poisonous substance secreted by animals or plants)
    2. a plant- or animal-sourced substance with medicinal or magical properties
    3. a liquid element that makes something taste or smell bitter or acrid
      1. (transferred sense) bitterness, acrimony (of speech, manner or disposition)
    4. (New Latin) a virus (infectious organism)

    Declension

    Second-declension noun (neuter, nominative/accusative/vocative in -us), singular only.

    • There is also the heteroclitic genitive singular vīrūs.
    • When used in modern biology with the same meaning of English virus, a plural can be formed using the same suffixes of regular neuters of the 2nd declension (i.e., vīra, vīrōrum, vīrīs, vīra, vīrīs, vīra):[2]

    Second-declension noun (neuter, nominative/accusative/vocative plural in -a).

    Synonyms

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    References

    1. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “vīrus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 682-683
    2. ^ William T. Stearn, Botanical Latin. History, Grammar, Syntax, Terminology and Vocabulary, ed. 3a (David & Charles, 1983): "Virus: virus (s.n. II), gen. sing. viri, nom. pl. vira, gen. pl. vīrorum (to be distinguished from virorum, of men)."

    Further reading

    • "virus", in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
    • "virus". in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
    • virus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
    • "virus", in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly
    • uīrus” on page 2286 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (2nd ed., 2012)

    Anagrams

    Malay

    Etymology

    From English virus, from Latin vīrus, from rhotacism from Proto-Italic *weizos.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    virus (plural virus-virus, informal 1st possessive virusku, 2nd possessive virusmu, 3rd possessive virusnya)

    1. virus:
      1. (biology, virology) 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.

    Northern Sami

    Etymology

    (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

    Pronunciation

    This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

    Noun

    virus

    1. virus

    Inflection

    Odd, no gradation
    Nominative virus
    Genitive virusa
    Singular Plural
    Nominative virus virusat
    Accusative virusa virusiid
    Genitive virusa virusiid
    Illative virusii virusiidda
    Locative virusis virusiin
    Comitative virusiin virusiiguin
    Essive virusin
    Possessive forms
    Singular Dual Plural
    1st person virusan viruseamẹ viruseamẹt
    2nd person virusat viruseattẹ viruseattẹt
    3rd person virusis viruseaskkạ viruseasẹt

    Norwegian Bokmål

    Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia no

    Etymology

    From Latin vīrus.

    Noun

    virus n (definite singular viruset, indefinite plural virus, definite plural virusa or virusene)

    1. (biology, virology) virus
    2. (computing) virus (computer virus) (see datavirus)

    References

    Norwegian Nynorsk

    Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia nn

    Etymology

    From Latin virus.

    Noun

    virus n (definite singular viruset, indefinite plural virus, definite plural virusa)

    1. (biology, virology) virus
    2. (computing) virus (computer virus) (see datavirus)

    References

    Romanian

    Etymology

    Borrowed from French virus, Latin vīrus.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈvirus/
    • Rhymes: -irus
    • Hyphenation: vi‧rus

    Noun

    virus n (plural virusuri)

    1. (virology) virus (a submicroscopic, non-cellular structure)

    Declension

    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative-accusative virus virusul virusuri virusurile
    genitive-dative virus virusului virusuri virusurilor
    vocative virusule virusurilor

    Noun

    virus m (plural viruși)

    1. (computing) virus (a type of computer malware)

    Declension

    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative-accusative virus virusul viruși virușii
    genitive-dative virus virusului viruși virușilor
    vocative virusule virușilor

    Serbo-Croatian

    Noun

    vírus m (Cyrillic spelling ви́рус)

    1. (medicine) virus (DNA/RNA causing disease)
    2. (computing) computer virus

    Declension

    Spanish

    Etymology

    Borrowed from Latin vīrus.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    virus m (plural virus)

    1. virus
    2. computer virus

    Derived terms

    Further reading

    Swedish

    Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia sv

    Etymology

    From Latin vīrus.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    virus n

    1. (biology, virology) virus
    2. (computing) computer virus
      Synonyms: datavirus, datorvirus

    Declension

    Derived terms

    See also

    References

    Tagalog

    Alternative forms

    Etymology

    Unadapted borrowing from English virus, from Latin vīrus. Doublet of bisa and birus. Used due to Tagalog-English code-switching (Taglish).

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    virus (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜌ᜔ᜇᜓᜐ᜔ or ᜊᜒᜇᜓᜐ᜔)

    1. (biology, virology) virus
      Synonyms: birus, (neologism) haykap
    2. (computing) computer virus

    Further reading

    • virus”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018