filterable virus

noun

a virus particle small enough to pass through a filter of diatomaceous earth or porcelain, which will not pass bacteria: chiefly historical or an informal indicator of size, as synthetic membrane filters now permit passage of the smallest virus.

Origin of filterable virus

¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Words Nearby filterable virus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use filterable virus in a sentence

The term virus or filterable virus is likewise applied to these ultramicroscopic and filterable agents.
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology | Charles Bradfield Morrey
The disease so produced is not contagious, and the contagious element seems to be due to the filterable virus.
Disease and Its Causes | William Thomas Councilman

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