tobacco mosaic virus

American

noun

a retrovirus causing mosaic disease in members of the nightshade family. TMV

tobacco mosaic virus British

noun

TMV. the virus that causes mosaic disease in tobacco and related plants: its discovery in 1892 provided the first evidence of the existence of viruses

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tobacco mosaic virus

First recorded in 1935–40

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.

You have already learned about one of these, the tobacco mosaic virus.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Martinus Beijerinck, a Dutch botanist who studied tobacco mosaic virus, speculated in 1898 that it was an infectious liquid.

From National Geographic • Jan. 14, 2021

The two collaborated on the structure of tobacco mosaic virus.

From Nature • Dec. 11, 2018

With Franklin, Dr. Klug worked on the structure of tobacco mosaic virus, a springboard to learning more about molecular structure.

From Washington Post • Nov. 24, 2018

Also aiding our cause was my work on tobacco mosaic virus.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

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