virus

1. v. i. Contagious or poisonous matter, as of specific ulcers, the bite of snakes, etc.; -- applied to organic poisons. Source: opted

2. v. i. The special contagion, inappreciable to the senses and acting in exceedingly minute quantities, by which a disease is introduced into the organism and maintained there. Source: opted

3. v. i. Fig.: Any morbid corrupting quality in intellectual or moral conditions; something that poisons the mind or the soul; as, the virus of obscene books. Source: opted

4. n. (virology) ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic; a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein Source: wordnet

5. n. a harmful or corrupting agency Source: wordnet

6. n. a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer Source: wordnet

7. 1. (Med.) (a) Contagious or poisonous matter, as of specific ulcers, the bite of snakes, etc.; -- applied to organic poisons. (b) The special contagion, inappreciable to the senses and acting in exceedingly minute quantities, by which a disease is introduced into the organism and maintained there. Note: The specific virus of diseases is now regarded as a microscopic living vegetable organism which multiplies within the body, and, either by its own action or by the associated development of a chemical poison, causes the phenomena of the special disease. 2. Fig.: Any morbid corrupting quality in intellectual or moral conditions; something that poisons the mind or the soul; as, the virus of obscene books. Source: webster

8. n:100 n. (virology) ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic; a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein n. a harmful or corrupting agency n. a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer Source: ecdict

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