herpesvirus

American  

[hur-peez-vahy-ruhs] / ˈhɜr pizˌvaɪ rəs /

noun

plural

herpesviruses

1. a DNA-containing virus of the family Herpesviridae, certain members of which cause such diseases in humans as oral and genital herpes, infectious mononucleosis, chickenpox, and shingles.

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herpesvirus British  

/ ˈhɜːpiːzˌvaɪrəs /

noun

1. any one of a family of DNA-containing viruses that includes the agents causing herpes, the Epstein-Barr virus, and the cytomegalovirus

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Etymology

Origin of herpesvirus

First recorded in 1920–25; from New Latin; herpes, virus

Example Sentences

From this large dataset, the team successfully identified and reconstructed eleven ancient herpesvirus genomes.

From Science Daily • Jan. 7, 2026

In addition to asking “Who?” a lot, Sherman pointed out the awkward fact that Flaco’s autopsy indicated that the owl had a severe pigeon herpesvirus when it died.

From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2024

Three years ago, virologists Marius Walter and Eric Verdin at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging demonstrated that a gene drive might be feasible in a herpesvirus.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 14, 2023

But to be sure Epstein-Barr was the culprit, Ascherio and his colleagues also measured antibodies against cytomegalovirus, another herpesvirus, and found no difference in levels in those who developed MS and those who did not.

From Scientific American • Jan. 13, 2022

Herpes Zoster   Varicella-zoster virus: A herpesvirus that causes chickenpox and   shingles.

From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Ritter, Thomas Jefferson