viroid

noun

vi·roid | \ ˈvī-ˌrȯid

Definition of viroid

: any of two families (Pospiviroidae and Avsunviroidae) of subviral particles that consist of a small single-stranded RNA arranged in a closed loop without a protein shell and that replicate in their host plants where they may or may not be pathogenic

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The first known use of viroid was in 1971

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viroid

noun

vi·roid | \ ˈvī-ˌrȯid

Medical Definition of viroid

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a hypothetical symbiont resembling a virus that was formerly held to be present in cells, to be favorable to the host, and to tend to mutate to a virus

2 : any of two families (Pospiviroidae and Avsunviroidae) of subviral particles that consist of a small single-stranded RNA arranged in a closed loop without a protein shell and that replicate in their host plants where they may or may not be pathogenic