coronavirus
[ kuh-roh-nuh-vahy-ruh s ]
/ kəˈroʊ nəˌvaɪ rəs /
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.
Words nearby coronavirus
coronary vein, coronary-care unit, coronate, coronation, coronation chicken, coronavirus, coroner, coronet, coroneted, coronitis, coronium
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. 2019
Examples from the Web for coronavirus
His doctors found a new virus in his respiratory secretions—a coronavirus, of the same family of viruses that causes SARS.
And he too was subsequently found to have coronavirus—in fact the same strain as the first patient.
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
Medicine definitions for coronavirus
coronavirus
[ kə-rō′nə-vī′rəs ]
n.
Any of various single-stranded, RNA-containing viruses that cause respiratory infection in humans and resemble a crown when viewed under an electron microscope because of their petal-shaped projections.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.