papillomavirus

American  

[pap-uh-loh-muh-vahy-ruhs] / ˌpæp əˈloʊ məˌvaɪ rəs /

noun

plural

papillomaviruses

1. any of several viruses of the family Papovaviridae, containing circular DNA, causing papillomas in various animals and responsible for human genital warts.

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Etymology

Origin of papillomavirus

papilloma + virus

Example Sentences

Doctors typically swab a patient’s cervix in clinical settings to test for high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus, an infection that can cause cancer when left untreated, through Pap smears and HPV testing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

Last year researchers from Edinburgh University's Bioquarter set up workshops in local schools to teach pupils about the benefits of immunisation against human papillomavirus.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2025

Particulate vaccines have been developed for a handful of pathogens, including hepatitis B and human papillomavirus, and a particulate vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 has been approved for use in South Korea.

From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2024

Novavax makes a protein subunit vaccine, the technology used in hepatitis B and human papillomavirus vaccines.

From Science Magazine • May 22, 2023

The bill also would cover the cost of human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccinations for children under 18.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2023