late 14c., "venomous substance," from Latin virus "poison, sap of plants, slimy liquid, a potent juice," probably from PIE root *weis- "to melt away, to flow," used of foul or malodorous fluids, with specialization in some languages to "poisonous fluid" (cognates: Sanskrit visam "poison," visah "poisonous;" Avestan vish- "poison;" Latin viscum "sticky substance, birdlime;" Greek ios "poison," ixos "mistletoe, birdlime;" Old Church Slavonic vi?nja "cherry;" Old Irish fi "poison;" Welsh gwy "fluid, water," gwyar "blood"). Main modern meaning "agent that causes infectious disease" first recorded 1728 (in reference to venereal disease). The computer sense is from 1972.
例文
1. The official number of people carrying the AIDS virus is low.
エイズウイルスキャリアの公式数字は高くない。
2.Hackers are said to have started a computer virus .
ハッカーたちはすでに新しいコンピュータウイルスを伝播し始めているという。
3.The repairman reported back that the computer had a virus .
修理工はコンピュータがウイルスに感染したと報告した。
4.I was determined not to succumb to the virus .
私は決してウイルスに屈服しません。
5.Liver cancer is linked to the hepatititis B virus .