vi ‧ rus W3 /ˈvaɪərəs $ ˈvaɪrəs/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: 'thick slippery liquid, poison, bad smell' ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] a very small living thing that causes infectious illnesses:
children infected with the Aids virus
a virus infection
2 . [countable] a set of instructions secretly put onto a computer or computer program, which can destroy information. When a computer that has a virus makes a connection with another computer, for example by ↑ email , the virus can make copies of itself and move to the other computer.
3 . [countable] a program that sends a large number of annoying messages to many people’s ↑ mobile phone s in an uncontrolled way
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + virus
▪ the AIDS/flu/polio etc virus
They are trying to stop the spread of the flu virus.
▪ a deadly/killer virus
a killer virus which has already been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people
▪ virulent (=causing many people to become ill)
Why was this particular strain of the virus so virulent?
■ verbs
▪ a virus causes something
The virus causes people to sweat.
▪ carry a virus (=have a virus, which you may then give to other people)
A nurse at the clinic was found to be carrying the virus.
▪ get a virus ( also contract a virus formal )
He does not know when he contracted the virus.
▪ be infected with a virus
Thousands of people may already be infected with the virus.
▪ be exposed to a virus
Four workers at the facility, though exposed to the virus, never became ill.
▪ transmit/pass on a virus (=pass it from one person or animal to another)
The rabies virus is transmitted in saliva when one animal bites another.
▪ a virus spreads
The virus spread throughout the population.
■ phrases
▪ a strain of a virus (=one type of it)
Doctors fear that a new strain of the virus will appear.
▪ a virus infection
The fever was caused by a virus infection.