prion 1
/pruy"on/ , n.
any of several petrels of the genus Pachyptila, located in the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere and having serrated edges on the bill.
[ 1840-50; príon a saw ]
prion 2
/pree"on, pruy"-/ , n.
a tiny proteinaceous particle, likened to viruses and viroids, but having no genetic component, thought to be an infectious agent in bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and similar encephalopathies.
[ 1980-85; PR(OTEINACEOUS) + I(NFECTIOUS) + -ON 1 ]