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poxvirus

American

[poks-vahy-ruhs] / ˈpɒksˌvaɪ rəs /

noun

plural

poxviruses

any of a group of large, brick-shaped DNA-containing viruses that infect humans and other animals, including the viruses of smallpox and various other poxes.

Etymology

Origin of poxvirus

First recorded in 1940–45; pox + virus

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.

The eradication succeeded thanks to an extensive vaccination campaign using another poxvirus, the aptly named Vaccinia virus.

From Science Daily • Feb. 5, 2024

Justice, in my mind, would be for your boss to have to go confess to the new gym owner that he passed along a potentially toxic candidate like a used tumbling mat covered with poxvirus.

From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2023

Whatever comes next, the epidemic offers researchers an unexpected chance to watch a poxvirus evolve in real time.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 15, 2022

In past outbreaks involving this poxvirus, animals — especially rodents — have been the primary source of transmission to humans.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2022

Vaccinia normally infects cattle and is a type of poxvirus, a family of viruses that includes smallpox and monkeypox.

From Salon • Aug. 6, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023