VIRUS
What does "VIRUS" mean?
A tiny infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of a host.
Meanings
- A submicroscopic infectious particle that can reproduce only inside a living host cell. The flu virus mutates enough each year to need a new vaccine.
- A malicious program that copies itself into other files or systems. The email attachment carried a virus that locked his files. technical
- A corrupting or rapidly spreading harmful influence. Cynicism spread through the office like a virus. figurative
Did you know?
- Biologists still argue whether a virus is even alive: it has no metabolism and cannot copy itself without commandeering a host cell, sitting on the fuzzy border between chemistry and life.
- Before it meant a microbe, 'virus' meant plain poison in Latin - English used the word for snake venom and toxic fluids long before germ theory existed.
Word origin
From Latin 'virus' (poison, venom, slimy liquid); applied in the 1890s to the newly discovered submicroscopic infectious agents.
Remember it
VIRUS keeps the Latin 'poison' inside it; think 'VI' (six) tiny invaders 'RUSh' your cells.
A little poem
Not quite alive, it cannot eat or grow;
it borrows you to make another you.
The smallest thief steals the whole machine.
tercet
Wordplay
- A virus can't live without a host - which makes it the worst houseguest and the best metaphor for one.
What it teaches
Nothing truly harmful works alone; even a virus needs a host to become a threat.
Quick facts
What does VIRUS mean?
A tiny infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of a host.
Is VIRUS a valid word?
Yes — VIRUS is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is VIRUS?
VIRUS has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does VIRUS come from?
From Latin 'virus' (poison, venom, slimy liquid); applied in the 1890s to the newly discovered submicroscopic infectious agents.
What can VIRUS teach us?
Nothing truly harmful works alone; even a virus needs a host to become a threat.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.