coronavirus
Americannoun
-
coronaviruses
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of coronavirus
First recorded in 1965–70; so called from the coronalike array of spikes projecting from the capsid
Compare meaning
How does coronavirus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A coronavirus is a specific type of microbe that can cause an infectious disease. One particular coronavirus, first identified in 2019, caused a worldwide pandemic. If you look at a coronavirus under a microscope, you'll see its round, spiky, crownlike shape. That's where this virus gets its name; corona means "crown" in Latin. People talked about coronaviruses a lot in 2020 because of Covid-19 (an acronym for coronavirus disease of 2019). But these viruses have been around for generations, and they're usually not so deadly. In fact, coronaviruses are responsible for the common cold, as well as illnesses affecting birds and non-human mammals.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Jensen compared the current situation to Feb. 2020, when China had reported the spread of coronavirus and Italy was beginning to feel its effects.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
The Durham City Riverscape Community formed just before the coronavirus pandemic to carry out monthly litter picks along the River Wear.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
He adds, "Moreover, sooner or later, there may be another coronavirus pandemic, which means we need to learn all the lessons we can from COVID-19 to be better prepared."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
For now, the most recent data show that levels of coronavirus in sewage are a fraction of last summer’s peak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
These services boomed at the height of the pandemic as listeners turned to digital platforms to enjoy their favorite artists when coronavirus restrictions brought live concerts to a standstill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The company's vaccine development pipeline also includes candidates targeting seasonal influenza, pandemic influenza threats, hemorrhagic fever viruses, and coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
The Cambridge researchers took known genetic codes – the instruction manuals of life – from a range of coronaviruses that had been recorded by surveillance programmes hunting for potential viral threats.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Most efforts to create broader vaccines have aimed to protect against an entire viral family, such as all coronaviruses or all influenza strains, by targeting viral components that mutate less frequently.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 23, 2026
It wouldn’t be surprising, given that many viruses have been linked to bats, including the Ebola, Marburg, Nipah and Hendra viruses, as well as coronaviruses like SARS-1 and MERS.
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2025
Raccoon dogs, masked palm civets, hoary bamboo rats and Malayan porcupines have transmitted bat coronaviruses before, the study authors noted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
