vi·rus (v  r s)n. pl. vi·rus·es 1. a. Any of various simple submicroscopic parasites of plants, animals, and bacteria that often cause disease and that consist essentially of a core 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. Something that poisons one's soul or mind: the pernicious virus of racism. 3. Computer Science A computer virus. [Latin v rus, poison.] |
virus
Noun
1. a microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium and can cause disease in humans, animals, or plants
2. Informal a disease caused by a virus
3. Computers an unsanctioned and self-replicating program which, when activated, corrupts a computer's data and disables its operating system [Latin: slime, poisonous liquid]
| virus (vrs) Plural viruses 1. Any of various extremely small, often disease-causing agents consisting of a particle (the virion), containing a segment of RNA or DNA within a protein coat known as a capsid. Viruses are not technically considered living organisms because they are devoid of biological processes (such as metabolism and respiration) and cannot reproduce on their own but require a living cell (of a plant, animal, or bacterium) to make more viruses. Viruses reproduce first either by injecting their genetic material into the host cell or by fully entering the cell and shedding their protein coat. The genetic material may then be incorporated into the cell's own genome or remain in the cytoplasm. Eventually the viral genes instruct the cell to produce new viruses, which often cause the cell to die upon their exit. Rather than being primordial forms of life, viruses probably evolved from rogue pieces of cellular nucleic acids. The common cold, influenza, chickenpox, smallpox, measles, mumps, yellow fever, hemorrhagic fevers, and some cancers are among the diseases caused by viruses. 2. Computer Science A computer program that duplicates itself in a manner that is harmful to normal computer use. Most viruses work by attaching themselves to another program. The amount of damage varies; viruses may erase all data or do nothing but reproduce themselves. viral adjective |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| 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 micro-organism, microorganism - 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 |
Translations
n virus [ˈvaiərəs]
1 any of various types of germs that are a cause of disease. virus فيروس، جُرْثومَه вирус virus virus das Virus ιός virus viirus ویروس virus virus וִירוּס छूत के रोग पैदा करने वाले विषाणु virus vírus virus veira, vírus virus ウイルス 바이러스, 병원체 virusas vīruss virus virus virus wirus vírus virus вирус vírus virus virus virus เชื้อไวรัส virüs 病毒 вірус جرثومہ vi rút 病毒
2 a computer code that is inserted into a program to destroy information or cause errors. virus فيروس في الكومبيوتر комп. вирус virus virus der Virus ιός Η/Υ virus arvutiviirus ویروس virus וִירוּס वाइरस, विषाणु virus (računalni) számítógépes vírus virus komputer virus コンピューターウイルス ?컴퓨터? 바이러스 (kompiuterio) virusas datorvīruss virus virus (data)virus wirus komputerowy вирус počítačový vírus virus virus datavirus ไวรัสคอมพิวเตอร์ virüs 計算機病毒 вірус وائرس، کمپيوٹر نظام کو تباہ کرنے والا کوڈ vi rút máy tính 计算机病毒
adj
He is suffering from a virus infection. virusagtig فيروسي، جُرْثومي вирусен virový virus- Virus-... που προκαλείται από ιό vírico viirus- ویروسی virus- viral סוֹבֵל מְווִירוּס संक्रमण virusni vírus-, vírusos virus veiru- virale ウイルスの virusinis vīrusa- virus virus virus- wirusowy virosal viral вирусный vírusový virusen virusni virus- เชื้อไวรัส virüs 病毒的 вірусний متعدي زہر bị lây vi rút 病毒的
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|