Main Entry: ret·ro·vi·rus

Pronunciation: \ˈre-trō-ˌvī-rəs\

Function: noun

Etymology: New Latin

Date: 1975

: any of a family (Retroviridae) of single-stranded RNA viruses that produce reverse transcriptase by means of which DNA is produced using their RNA as a template and incorporated into the genome of infected cells, that are often tumorigenic, and that include the lentiviruses (as the HIVs) and the causative agent of Rous sarcoma

— ret·ro·vi·ral \-rəl\ adjective