virus
/ˈvaɪɹəs/noun
An illness caused by an infectious viral agent.
Example sentence
- “A nasty virus kept half the office at home last week.”
Also standard for malicious computer programs, and 'go viral' describes anything spreading rapidly online.
Related words
bacteriaA particular kind, species, or strain of these tiny single-celled organisms.outbreakThe sudden start or rapid spread of something unpleasant, such as a disease.germA tiny living thing, such as a bacterium or virus, that can cause illness.pandemicA disease that spreads across many countries and infects a very large share of the population.diseaseA condition that makes a person, animal, or plant unwell or stops it working properly, unlike an injury, which usually happens in an instant.epidemicAn outbreak of disease that spreads rapidly and affects large numbers of people at the same time.