virulent strain
2
6.5
- noun
- /ˈvɪrələnt streɪn/
- Specialized
:
cepa virulenta
- The recent outbreak was caused by a virulent strain of the virus that spread rapidly through the population.
- more virulent strains
- highly virulent strains
- most virulent strains
These are all virulent strains that have at times infected us in the past, but they now loom in front of us again, all happening at once.
- These are all virulent strains that have at times infected us in the past, but they now loom in front of us again, all happening at once.
Examples
-
An additional limitation of the Quebec study is that the higher failure rates may reflect a more virulent strain of C. difficile than is commonly encountered in the United States.
Academic text (2007) -
The outbreak of a new and more virulent strain of the Mycosphaerella fungus in 1973 happened almost as rapidly as the original epidemic and has had nearly as dramatic an impact on the banana industry.
Academic text (2002) -
My boyfriend, Mark, was one of the first victims of the more virulent strain.
Fiction book (1997) -
The newsnet stories had called this a particularly virulent strain of influenza.
Fiction book (2000) -
The vaccine has to be updated periodically, in a race to keep ahead of ever more virulent strains.
Academic text (2000) -
Eye swabs may occasionally grow virulent strains of meningococcus.
Academic text (2014) -
These are all virulent strains that have at times infected us in the past, but they now loom in front of us again, all happening at once.
-
For starters, they've sorted out the genetic sequence of a virulent strain of ASF, with some surprising discoveries.
Academic text (1996) -
The periodic eruption of the Ebola virus in isolated areas of Africa also pointed to the need for immediate international attention to such virulent strains that might be carried by air travelers halfway around the world in a matter of hours.
Academic text (2007) -
Human infection is caused by protozoans Plasmodium falciparum (the most common and virulent strain), P. malariae, P. vivax, or P. ovale.
Academic text (2004)
Synonyms
857
3.2
A very small germ that can only live inside cells and often causes illness
50
5.7
A tiny germ like a virus or a bacterium that causes disease in people and animals
How Harmful
- Specialized
2
6.5
107
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'virulent' (highly infectious or harmful) modifies 'strain' (a variant), so a learner who knows both words can infer it means a highly harmful or infectious variant. This modifier-noun logic is regular in English (and found in many languages), making the phrase immediately comprehensible to learners who know the constituents.
Etymology
Virulent strain combines virulent (meaning 'very harmful' or 'poisonous') and strain (a 'type' or 'line' of germs). Imagine a single, strong, poisonous 'thread' of germs that spreads easily and makes people very sick, so the phrase means a type of virus or bacteria that is especially dangerous.