coronavirus

/kəroʊnəˈvaɪrɪs/

/kərəʊnəˈvaɪrəs/

Other forms: coronaviruses

A coronavirus is a specific type of microbe that can cause an infectious disease. One particular coronavirus, first identified in 2019, caused a worldwide pandemic.

If you look at a coronavirus under a microscope, you'll see its round, spiky, crownlike shape. That's where this virus gets its name; corona means "crown" in Latin. People talked about coronaviruses a lot in 2020 because of Covid-19 (an acronym for coronavirus disease of 2019). But these viruses have been around for generations, and they're usually not so deadly. In fact, coronaviruses are responsible for the common cold, as well as illnesses affecting birds and non-human mammals.

Definitions of coronavirus

1. noun

   any of a group of RNA infectious agents that have crown-like spikes on their surface and cause disease in mammals and birds
2. noun

   a disease caused by any of a group of RNA infectious agents with crown-like spikes on their surface, especially Covid-19