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coronavirus

[ kuh-roh-nuh-vahy-ruhs ]
/ kəˈroʊ nəˌvaɪ rəs /
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noun, plural co·ro·na·vi·rus·es.
any of various RNA-containing spherical viruses of the family Coronaviridae, including several that cause acute respiratory illnesses.

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Origin of coronavirus

First recorded in 1965–70; so called from the coronalike array of spikes projecting from the capsid
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use coronavirus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for coronavirus

coronavirus
/ (kəˈrəʊnəˌvaɪrəs) /

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

Word Origin for coronavirus

C20: so-called because of their corona-like appearance in electron micrographs
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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