/herr"peez vuy'reuhs/ , n. , pl. herpesviruses .
a DNA-containing virus of the family Herpesviridae, certain members of which cause such diseases in humans as oral and genital herpes, infectious mononucleosis, chickenpox, and shingles. Cf. herpes simplex, varicella-zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus .
[ 1920-25; ]