I. ˈprīˌän noun
( -s )
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek priōn saw
: any of several petrels of the southern hemisphere (genus Pachyptila ) that are bluish gray above and white below and somewhat resemble doves — see fairy prion
II. ˈprēän, ˈprī- noun
( -s )
Etymology: pr oteinaceous + i nfectious + -on (II)
: a protein particle that lacks nucleic acid and has been implicated as the cause of various neurodegenerative diseases (as scrapie, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy)