coronavirus
noun
co·ro·na·vi·rus
kə-ˈrō-nə-ˌvī-rəs 
plural coronaviruses
1
: any of a family (Coronaviridae) of large single-stranded RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped spike proteins, infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of MERS, SARS, and COVID-19
Coronaviruses can cause a variety of illnesses in animals, but in people coronaviruses cause one-third of common colds and sometimes respiratory infections in premature infants.—
Rob Stein
Rob Stein… in 2003 a previously unknown coronavirus caused an outbreak of SARS in humans.—Ali Moh Zaki et al.
—abbreviation CoV, CV
Ali Moh Zaki et al.2
: an illness caused by a coronavirus
especially
: covid-19
Italy has seen the most coronavirus cases in Europe, with more than 2,000 people ill and 76 deaths associated with COVID-19. —Dayton (Ohio) Daily News
—abbreviation CV
Dayton (Ohio) Daily News Examples of coronavirus in a Sentence
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That's the largest monthly total since July 2020, in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025
Experts fear the focus portends a backslide to the kind of political polarization of schools seen during the coronavirus pandemic.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 6 Mar. 2025
The next season, the Tritons went 30-1 and were ranked third in the nation among Division 2 teams before the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
—Tim Casey, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Those extra costs would come in addition to already-soaring vehicle prices, which started to rise sharply during the coronavirus pandemic and haven’t eased much since.
—Nora Eckert, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
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Scott Horsley, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025
Experts fear the focus portends a backslide to the kind of political polarization of schools seen during the coronavirus pandemic.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 6 Mar. 2025
The next season, the Tritons went 30-1 and were ranked third in the nation among Division 2 teams before the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
—Tim Casey, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Those extra costs would come in addition to already-soaring vehicle prices, which started to rise sharply during the coronavirus pandemic and haven’t eased much since.
—Nora Eckert, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coronavirus
Articles Related to coronavirus
Cite this Entry
“Coronavirus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coronavirus. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
coronavirus
noun
co·ro·na·vi·rus
kə-ˈrō-nə-ˌvī-rəs
1
: any of a family (Coronaviridae) of large, single-stranded, RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped spike proteins , infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of blue comb, feline infectious peritonitis, COVID-19, MERS, and SARS
Coronaviruses can cause a variety of illnesses in animals, but in people coronaviruses cause one-third of common colds and sometimes respiratory infections in premature infants.—Rob Stein, The Washington Post
—abbreviation CoV, CV
Rob Stein, The Washington Post2
: an illness caused by a coronavirus
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