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coronavirus

coronavirus

1 3.3
A germ that can cause lung and breathing problems like COVID-19
  • noun
  • /ˌkoʊrəˈnaɪvərəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : coronavirus
  • Health officials reported a significant increase in cases of coronavirus in the region.
  • coronavirus infection
  • novel coronavirus
  • respiratory coronavirus

Because as we all know, this coronavirus is silent but deadly.

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Examples

  • Patients in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus have sadly died.

  • First, that this second wave of coronavirus is real and it's serious.

  • That was a difficult start and then we see the coronavirus issues right now.

  • So how does the coronavirus cause a recession?

  • Coronavirus is overwhelming every hospital.

  • Hospitals are having to adapt to their spaces and practices to be able to deal with coronavirus.

  • Over a period of five months, about 8,000 people were infected by a novel human coronavirus.

    Academic text (2005)
  • After four months, scientists eventually discovered that the mystery disease was caused by a coronavirus (a family of viruses found in many animal species).

    Academic text (2005)
  • The service was instrumental in identifying the recent novel coronavirus in a traveler from the Middle East.

    Academic text (2012)
  • During the pandemic, researchers worked tirelessly to develop a vaccine for coronavirus.

Synonyms

virus
vscoronavirus
  • Specialized
857 3.2

A very small germ that can only live inside cells and often causes illness

is a specific kind that causes respiratory illness including COVID-19

Compounds

coronavirus disease
  • Specialized
3.9

An illness caused by a coronavirus that affects the lungs and breathing, for example COVID-19

3.5

A serious illness first found in 2019 caused by a new virus that affects breathing and spreads worldwide

3.8

A serious lung disease caused by a new coronavirus that began in 2019 and causes fever, cough, and breathing difficulty

Wuhan coronavirus
  • Specialized
3.7

A disease caused by a virus first found in Wuhan, China in 2019 that spread around the world in 2020

Surface Forms

coronavirus singular
coronaviruses plural

Morphology

coronavirus = corona + virus (transparent) = corona + virus

The word is a clear compound of 'corona' + 'virus' and denotes a type of virus; learners who know 'virus' can deduce it is a virus.

Etymology

The word coronavirus comes from the Latin parts corona meaning 'crown' and virus meaning 'poison'. Under a microscope these tiny germs look like they have a ring of spikes like a little crown, and that is why the name fits this group of viruses that can cause breathing illnesses such as COVID-19.