coronavirus

[ kuh-roh-nuh-vahy-ruhs ]

noun,plural co·ro·na·vi·rus·es.
  1. any of various RNA-containing spherical viruses of the family Coronaviridae, including several that cause acute respiratory illnesses.

Origin of coronavirus

1
First recorded in 1965–70; so called from the coronalike array of spikes projecting from the capsid

Words Nearby coronavirus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use coronavirus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for coronavirus

coronavirus

/ (kəˈrəʊnəˌvaɪrəs) /


noun
  1. a type of airborne virus accounting for 10-30% of all colds

Origin of coronavirus

1
C20: so-called because of their corona-like appearance in electron micrographs

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