coronavirus

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coronavirus^¹

/kəˈɹəʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/ UK
/kəˈɹoʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/ US

Where it comes from

From corona (“crown-like circle of light appearing around the sun”) + virus. Corona is derived from Latin corōna (“garland, wreath; crown”), from Ancient Greek κορώνη (korṓnē, “something curved; curved stern of a ship; end, point, tip”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”). The name refers to the characteristic appearance of its virions by electron microscopy, which have a fringe of surface projections creating an image reminiscent of a solar corona. Compare the former genus name Coronavirus.

noun coronaviruses · corona virus · corona-virus

countable, uncountable A member of the family Coronaviridae, comprising viruses which infect animals and human beings, and the genome of which consists of a single strand of RNA. A new group of viruses with the name of coronaviruses has been recognized by an informal group of virologists who have sent their conclusions to Nature. […] In the opinion of the eight virologists these viruses are members of a previously unrecognized group which they suggest should be called the co
countable, uncountable, since 2020 SARS-CoV-2, the specific coronavirus that causes the infectious disease COVID-19. A woman in her 70s was confirmed as the first coronavirus death in the UK on Thursday as Downing Street warned that it was now highly likely that the virus would spread in “a significant way”.
countable, metonymically, uncountable An illness caused by a coronavirus.
countable, metonymically, uncountable COVID-19, the disease caused by the specific coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Coronavirus^²

/kəˈɹoʊnəˌvaɪɹəs/

proper noun

Alternative letter-case form of coronavirus (“the virus SARS-CoV-2 or the disease COVID-19”).

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: neurotropic, corona-virus, corona virus, coronavirion, crown virus, picornavirus, coronavirosis, coronavirologist, betacoronavirus, noncoronavirus, herpesvirus, circovirus, reovirus, oncornavirus, virion, virid

noun

Translations

Every language

noun member of the family Coronaviridae

Español	coronavirus
한국어	코로나바이러스 koronabaireoseu, 코로나비루스 koronabiruseu
日本語	コロナウイルス koronauirusu, コロナ korona
中文	冠狀病毒 /冠状病毒 guānzhuàng bìngdú
हिन्दी	कोरोना विषाणु koronā viṣāṇu, किरीट विषाणु kirīṭ viṣāṇu, कोरोनावायरस koronāvāyras
Kiswahili	virusi vya corona
Português	coronavírus
Français	coronavirus
Deutsch	Coronavirus
Italiano	coronavirus
Ελληνικά	κορωνοϊός koronoïós, κορονοϊός koronoïós, κορωναϊός koronaïós, κοροναϊός koronaïós
Română	coronavirus
Русский	коронави́рус koronavírus
Tiếng Việt	virus corona, coronavirus, vi-rút corona, siêu vi corona, siêu vi khuẩn corona, siêu vi trùng corona
العربية	فَيْرُوس كُورُونَا fayrūs kūrūnā, ڤَيْرُوس كُورُونَا vayrūs kūrūnā
עברית	קוֹרוֹנָה koróna, נְגִיף קוֹרוֹנָה negíf koróna

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MLA

"coronavirus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/coronavirus. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

coronavirus. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/coronavirus

Chicago

"coronavirus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/coronavirus.

BibTeX

@misc{coronavirus_2026,
  title = {coronavirus},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/coronavirus},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}