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Glite Dictionary
coronavirus disease 2019

coronavirus disease 2019

3.5
A serious illness first found in 2019 caused by a new virus that affects breathing and spreads worldwide
  • noun
  • /ˌkɔːrəˈnaɪvərəs dɪˈziːz twɛnti ˈnɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : COVID-19
  • The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 led to widespread lockdowns around the world.

Examples

  • Researchers have worked rapidly to develop vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019.

  • Many people experienced remote work for the first time due to coronavirus disease 2019.

  • The coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak has changed global health policies.

  • Did you hear about the coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine updates?

  • The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 led to widespread lockdowns around the world.

  • Researchers have worked rapidly to develop vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019.

  • Did you hear about the updates on the coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine?

Synonyms

corona
vscoronavirus disease 2019
  • Neologism
1 4.1

A disease caused by a new virus that spread around the world in 2020

is the full formal disease name rather than an informal label
COVID-19
vscoronavirus disease 2019
  • Specialized
2.8

A disease caused by a new coronavirus first seen in 2019 that spreads easily

is the formal name for the same illness rather than a short label
2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease
vscoronavirus disease 2019
  • Neologism
4.4

A virus infection from the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that affects the lungs and airways, also called COVID-19

is the established disease name used broadly rather than this dated technical label
novel coronavirus pneumonia
vscoronavirus disease 2019
  • Specialized
3.8

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

focuses on the whole disease, not only lung inflammation
Wuhan coronavirus
vscoronavirus disease 2019
  • Specialized
3.7

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

avoids geographic naming and uses the established medical name
Wuhan pneumonia
vscoronavirus disease 2019
  • Archaic
5.4

A former name for COVID-19, a virus that causes lung illness

uses the broader formal disease name rather than the early description
coronavirus disease
vscoronavirus disease 2019
  • Specialized
3.9

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

names this specific 2019 pandemic illness rather than coronaviruses generally

Surface Forms

coronavirus disease 2019 singular
coronavirus disease 2019s plural

Morphology

coronavirus + disease + 2019

The meaning is directly compositional: 'coronavirus' (a type of virus) + 'disease' + the year '2019' yields 'the disease caused by the coronavirus first identified in 2019', which a learner who knows the constituent words can infer. The pathogen‑name + disease + year naming convention is common across languages and follows standard medical naming patterns, so it is immediately understandable.

Etymology

The noun coronavirus disease 2019 gets its name from how the virus looks: corona means 'crown' because the virus has little spikes that look like a crown. The 2019 shows the year it was first found, so the name means the disease caused by that new crown-like virus first seen in 2019.