SARS

American  

[sahrz] / sɑrz /

noun

Pathology.

1. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome: an acute respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, characterized by fever, coughing, breathing difficulty, and usually pneumonia.

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SARS ¹ British  

/ sɑːz /

acronym

1. severe acute respiratory syndrome; a severe viral infection of the lungs characterized by high fever, a dry cough, and breathing difficulties. It is contagious, having an airborne mode of transmission

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SARS ² British  

abbreviation

1. South African Revenue Service

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Etymology

Origin of SARS

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

She covered the beverage industry, then SARS, flu, Ebola and other epidemics and chronic diseases as a public health reporter in the Atlanta bureau.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

It could have played out differently, as shown by the outbreak of SARS, a genetic relative of COVID-19, nearly 20 years ago.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2024

Knipe has applied the insights gained by studying HSV to explore the possibilities of using genetic material from HSV to deliver vaccines for HIV, SARS, West Nile, and anthrax.

From Science Daily • Dec. 15, 2023

Bats have been linked to a “greatest hits” list of infectious diseases—not just COVID-19, but SARS, Marburg, and even ebola.

From Slate • May 22, 2023

In early 2003, the government temporarily banned all wild animal sales after the outbreak of SARS, which studies indicate moved from bats to humans via palm civets, a mainstay of the meat trade.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 28, 2023