virus
virus — noun
1. a microscopic particle that enters the body of a living creature and multiplies
a microscopic particle that enters the body of a living creature and multiplies inside its cells, often causing illness or disease
Valentina caught a virus that kept her home from school for a week.
collocation: catch a virus
The influenza virus spreads through the air when people cough or sneeze.
Scientists at the lab are studying how the virus enters human cells.
Under a powerful microscope, Anong watched the virus attach itself to a single healthy cell.
The doctor explained that washing hands helps stop the virus from spreading.
文法句型
virus + spread / infect / enter
catch / carry / transmit + a virus
用法筆記
Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and do not respond to antibiotics. They are often named after the disease they cause (e.g., influenza virus, HIV) or their physical shape (e.g., coronavirus from its crown-like spikes).
常見錯誤
2. a particular sickness or infection that is caused when a virus enters and multip
a particular sickness or infection that is caused when a virus enters and multiplies inside the body
Bilal stayed in bed for three days with a nasty virus.
collocation: have / stay in bed with a virus
The doctor said the virus would go away on its own within a week.
A stomach virus spread through the class, making many children ill.
Yasmin still felt weak for a week after the virus had passed.
The nurse said most viruses just need rest and plenty of water to get better.
文法句型
have / get / catch + a virus
a + [type] + virus
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers to the illness you experience ('I have a virus' = I feel sick), while sense 1 refers to the microorganism itself (a virus can be studied under a microscope even when nobody is ill). In casual speech, sense 2 is often used with a descriptive word like stomach virus or flu virus.
常見錯誤
3. a piece of hidden computer code that copies itself from one machine to another,
a piece of hidden computer code that copies itself from one machine to another, often designed to damage files, steal data, or stop a system from working
Haruto's laptop stopped working after a virus infected his files.
collocation: virus infects [computer/files]
The virus spread through the office network and erased important documents.
Eve accidentally downloaded a virus while opening an email attachment.
A new computer virus hit thousands of machines across Asia last month.
Updating your antivirus software regularly helps protect against the latest threats.
文法句型
virus + infect / damage / spread
download / install / remove + a virus
用法筆記
A computer virus is one type of malware. Unlike a worm (which spreads without human help) or a trojan (which pretends to be safe), a virus usually attaches itself to a legitimate program and needs a user action (like opening a file) to run. Antivirus software scans for and removes viruses.
常見錯誤
4. something damaging, such as a belief, attitude, or behaviour, that spreads quick
something damaging, such as a belief, attitude, or behaviour, that spreads quickly through a group or society and causes harm
The virus of hate spread through the community after the disputed election.
figurative: the virus of [negative quality]
Nationalist ideas became a virus that harmed the country's public life.
Ramón believed that greed was a virus destroying trust among his colleagues.
The virus of dishonesty spread through every level of the city government.
Social media rumours can act like a virus, growing out of control within hours.
- cure
something that stops the harmful spread or heals the damage
文法句型
the virus of + [abstract noun]
virus + spread / infect / corrupt
用法筆記
Always figurative. The most common structure is 'the virus of [abstract noun]', especially in political or social commentary. This sense draws a direct analogy with biological viruses: both enter a host unnoticed, multiply, and cause widespread damage.