virus
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Latin virus (“‘poison, slime, venom’”). First use in the computer context by David Gerrold in his 1972 book When HARLIE Was One.
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
virus (plural viruses)
- (archaic) Venom, as produced by a poisonous animal etc.
- (pathology, microbiology, virology) 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 that requires a living cell to replicate — often causes disease in the host organism.
- 2001, Leslie Iversen, Drugs: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2001, p. 64)
- Viruses are the smallest and most simplified forms of life.
- 2001, Leslie Iversen, Drugs: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2001, p. 64)
- (computing) A computer virus.
[edit] Usage notes
- The plural is often believed to be viri or even virii, but neither is correct Latin and both are neologistic folk etymology. The word has no plural in Latin as it is a mass noun, like oxygen or sunlight.
- There is disagreement over whether a virus can be classed as a living organism.
[edit] Hyponyms
- DNA virus
- RNA virus
- See also Wikisaurus:virus
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
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[edit] See also
- prion
Plural of virus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia:Plural of virus
[edit] Bosnian
[edit] Noun
virus m (plural virusi)
- (medicine) virus (DNA/RNA causing disease)
- (computing) computer virus
[edit] Czech
[edit] Noun
virus m.
[edit] Declension
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | virus | viry |
| genitive | viru | virů |
| dative | viru | virům |
| accusative | virus | viry |
| vocative | vire | viry |
| locative | viru | virech |
| instrumental | virem | viry |
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Danish
[edit] Noun
virus c. n. (singular definite virussen or virusset, plural indefinite virus or virusser or vira, plural definite virussene or virusserne or viraene)
[edit] Dutch
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
virus m. (plural virussen, diminutive virusje, diminutive plural virusjes)
[edit] Finnish
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: [ˈʋirus]
[edit] Noun
virus (stem viru-*)
[edit] Declension
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Declension of virus (type vastaus)
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[edit] French
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
virus m. (plural virus)
[edit] Galician
[edit] Noun
virus m. (plural virus)
[edit] Italian
[edit] Noun
virus m.
[edit] Latin
[edit] Etymology
Via rhotacism from Proto-Indo-European *wisos, *wīsos, *wiHsos. Cognates include Sanskrit विष (víṣa) and Ancient Greek ἰός (ios).
[edit] Noun
vīrus (genitive vīrī); n (uncountable), second declension
[edit] Inflection
| Number | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | vīrus | —1 |
| genitive | vīrī | — |
| dative | vīrō | — |
| accusative | vīrus | — |
| ablative | vīrō | — |
| vocative | vīrus | — |
1 virus is declined in the singular only.
[edit] Synonyms
- (poison): venenum
[edit] Romanian
[edit] Noun
[edit] Declension
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gender n. | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation |
| Nominative/Accusative | un virus | virusul | nişte virusuri | virusurile |
| Genitive/Dative | unui virus | virusului | unor virusuri | virusurilor |
| Vocative | — | — | — | — |
[edit] Serbian
[edit] Noun
virus m. (plural virusi) (Cyrillic spelling вирус)
- (medicine) virus (DNA/RNA causing disease)
- (computing) computer virus
[edit] Spanish
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Noun
virus m. singular & plural
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Singular |
Plural |
[edit] Swedish
[edit] Noun
virus m.

