rhinovirus

American  

[rahy-noh-vahy-ruhs, rahy-noh-vahy-] / ˌraɪ noʊˈvaɪ rəs, ˈraɪ noʊˌvaɪ- /

noun

• rhinoviruses
  plural

1. any of a varied and widespread group of picornaviruses responsible for many respiratory diseases, including the common cold.

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rhinovirus British  

/ ˈraɪnəʊˌvaɪrəs /

noun

1. any of various viruses that occur in the human respiratory tract and cause diseases, such as the common cold

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rhinovirus Scientific  

/ rī′nō-vī′rəs /

1. Any of a group of viruses of the family Picornaviridae and the genus Rhinovirus that cause the common cold.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rhinoviruses
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of rhinovirus

First recorded in 1960–65; rhino- + virus

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rhinovirus rhinoviruses

On Tuesday, Russian authorities said that among them they have identified two cases of Covid-19 and two of rhinovirus, an infection that leads to the common cold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

The findings suggest that the body's reaction to rhinovirus often matters more than the virus itself.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2026

How your nasal-passage cells respond to the rhinovirus helps determine whether you get sick and how bad you feel, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Cell Press Blue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

And the reason there is not a rhinovirus vaccine is because there are about 180 different rhinoviruses circulating, and they’re all distinct from each other.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2025

Imagine someone sneezing in a crowded elevator, releasing into the air ten variants of a rhinovirus, the kind of virus that causes the common cold.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Florence was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, external, rhinoviruses - which causes the common cold - and a blood infection, which meant her lungs could not operate on their own.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

Winter brings a surge of respiratory illnesses, including rhinoviruses, the most frequent cause of the common cold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

We did look at developing an mRNA vaccine for rhinoviruses, but in the end, we decided to go with a protein vaccine with an adjuvant.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2025

In Los Angeles County, 15% of surveillance-lab-tested specimens are coming back positive for rhinoviruses or enteroviruses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 27, 2023

Infectious disease experts have noted that other respiratory illnesses, such as rhinoviruses and adenoviruses, are also circulating.

From New York Times ● Dec. 16, 2022

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