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Glite Dictionary
human immunodeficiency virus

human immunodeficiency virus

1 3.4
A virus that attacks the body's defence system by destroying important immune cells and causes AIDS
  • noun
  • /ˈhjuːmən ˌɪmjunəˈdɪfɪʃənsi ˈvaɪrəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana
  • Specific groups have formed to help patients cope with chronic medical problems, such as asthma and human immunodeficiency virus infection.
  • human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • human immunodeficiency virus infection
  • transmission of human immunodeficiency virus

Examples

  • The name that stuck to the causative agent was the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Many people who live with the human immunodeficiency virus manage their health effectively with proper medication.

  • A human immunodeficiency virus assay should also be strongly considered for such a patient.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Therefore, it is essential to test all patients who have extrapulmonary tuberculosis for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus.

    Academic text (2002)

  • We are at a moment of extraordinary optimism in the response to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

    Blog text (5)

  • Gay men and intravenous drug users are the two major risk groups for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

    Academic text (1990)

  • The patient was started on intravenous acyclovir and tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

    Academic text (2006)

  • The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody was positive and the CD4 count was 208/mL.

    Academic text (2007)

  • In addition, serologic investigations for hepatitis B and C virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and syphilis were obtained.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Researchers are working tirelessly to develop a vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus to prevent AIDS.

Synonyms

HIV
vshuman immunodeficiency virus
536 3.3

A virus that attacks the body's defence system and can cause AIDS

specifies that it causes AIDS by destroying helper T cells

Surface Forms

human immunodeficiency virus singular
human immunodeficiency viruses plural

Morphology

human + immunodeficiency + virus

The phrase is fully compositional: 'virus' modified by 'immunodeficiency' denotes a virus that causes immunodeficiency, and 'human' specifies the host. Although technical, the meaning follows directly from the known constituent words and mirrors equivalent constructions in other languages, so a learner who knows the parts can infer the overall meaning.

Etymology

Human immunodeficiency virus is the name scientists gave in the 1980s to say what it does: a virus that attacks the human immune system and makes it weak. The part immunodeficiency joins the words 'immune' and 'deficiency' to mean 'a lack of immune protection', so the name explains that this virus makes the immune system fail.