subvariant
Americannoun
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Microbiology, Pathology. a genetically distinct form of a virus, bacteria, or other microorganism, which arises when a variant of the original strain mutates.
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in a classification or hierarchy, a distinct, often more specialized type of something that is itself one of a subset of a broader or higher category; subtype.
Each fighter plane in the A-series was eventually issued in the subvariants of fighter-bomber and bomber-destroyer.
Etymology
Origin of subvariant
First recorded in 1900–05; sub- ( def. ) + variant ( def. )
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.
It’s also not projected to be a particularly fast-growing subvariant, nor a dominant one.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
The dreaded norovirus — the “vomiting bug” that often causes stomach flu symptoms — is climbing again in California, and doctors warn that a new subvariant could make even more people sick this season.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2025
The ancestor of the GII.17 strain probably came from a subvariant that triggered an outbreak in Romania in 2021, according to CDC scientists.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2025
The latest jump is being fueled by the subvariant XFG, nicknamed ‘Stratus.’
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025
This summer’s jump is being fueled by the subvariant XFG, nicknamed “Stratus.”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2025
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.
