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Virus Definition: Biological and Computer Virus Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：infectious agent (virus)

virus 🔊

/ˈvaɪrəs/

A tiny thing that can make you sick. It’s so small you can’t see it, and it gets inside your body’s cells to cause diseases like the flu.

Doctor examining virus particles under microscope in clinic

infectious agent 🔊

➕

/ɪnˈfɛkʃəs ˈeɪdʒənt/

A virus is a microscopic infectious particle that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'virus' meaning 'poison' or 'slime', originally referring to venom.

💡 Mnemonic

'Vir' sounds like 'veer' – a virus veers into your body cells to make you sick.

📖 Example

I think I caught a virus because I have a sore throat, fever, and a runny nose. 🔊 I think I caught a virus because I have a sore throat, fever, and a runny nose.

🔗 Collocations

catch a virus – to become infected with a virus

spread a virus – to transmit a virus to others

virus outbreak – a sudden increase in cases of a viral disease

🔄 Synonyms

pathogen (n.) – a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.

microbe (n.) – a microorganism, especially a bacterium causing disease or fermentation.

germ (n.) – a microorganism, especially one that causes disease.

🌱 Derivatives

viral (adj.) – relating to or caused by a virus

virology (n.) – the study of viruses

viremia (n.) – the presence of viruses in the blood

📖 Cultural Story

Originally Latin for 'poison' or 'slime', used in medicine since the 17th century. Modern virology emerged in the late 19th century with the discovery of tobacco mosaic virus.

Meaning 2：computer malware (virus)

virus 🔊

/ˈvaɪrəs/

A bad program that secretly gets into your computer or phone, copies itself, and can damage your files, steal information, or make your device slow.

Laptop screen showing virus threat warning pop-up

computer malware 🔊

➕

/kəmˈpjuːtər ˈmælweər/

A computer virus is a type of malicious software that replicates itself by modifying other programs and can damage or steal data.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Don't open that strange email attachment; it might contain a virus that could lock all your files. 🔊 Don't open that strange email attachment; it might contain a virus that could lock all your files.

🔗 Collocations

run a virus scan – to use antivirus software to check for viruses

virus removal – the process of eliminating a computer virus

computer virus – a malicious program that replicates itself on a computer

🔄 Synonyms

malware (n.) – software that is specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system.

worm (n.) – a standalone malware computer program that replicates itself to spread to other computers.

trojan (n.) – malware that disguises itself as a normal file to trick users into downloading and executing it.

🚫 Antonyms

antivirus (n.) – software designed to detect and remove computer viruses.

firewall (n.) – a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic.

🌱 Derivatives

viral (adj.) – relating to or being like a computer virus (e.g., viral marketing)