Definition of coronavirus
: any of a family (Coronaviridae) of single-stranded RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped projections, infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of MERS and SARS
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Recent Examples of coronavirus from the Web
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With luck, this novel coronavirus will remain a blip, and not an outbreak, and public health will be granted some time to think these issues through.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coronavirus'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of coronavirus
New Latin, from corona + virus
First Known Use: 1968
Medical Dictionary
coronavirus
playMedical Definition of coronavirus
: any of a family (Coronaviridae) of single-stranded RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped projections, infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of blue comb, feline infectious peritonitis, MERS, and SARS Coronaviruses can cause a variety of illnesses in animals, but in people coronaviruses cause one-third of common colds and sometimes respiratory infections in premature infants.—Rob Stein, The Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2003—abbreviation CoV
Learn More about coronavirus
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coronavirus
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