- virus - (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
--1 is a kind of microorganism; infectious agent, infective agent
--1 has particulars:arbovirus, arborvirus; bacteriophage, phage; plant virus; animal virus; slow virus; tumor virus - virus - a harmful or corrupting agency; "bigotry is a virus that must not be allowed to spread"; "the virus of jealousy is latent in everyone"
--2 is a kind of representation, delegacy, agency
- virus, computer virus - a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer; "a true virus cannot spread to another computer without human assistance"
--3 is a kind of malevolent program
- virus - a harmful or corrupting agency; "bigotry is a virus that must not be allowed to spread"; "the virus of jealousy is latent in everyone"