virus

IPA: vˈaɪrʌs

A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure consisting of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and often causes disease in the host organism; such agents are often classed as nonliving infectious particles and less often as microorganisms.
(uncountable) A quantity of such infectious agents
(informal, metonymically) A disease caused by such an infectious agent; a viral illness.
(archaic) Venom, as produced by a poisonous animal etc.
(computing) A type of malware which can covertly transmit itself between computers via networks (especially the Internet) or removable storage such as disks, often causing damage to systems and data; also computer virus.
(computing, proscribed) Any type of malware.
(figurative) Any malicious or dangerous entity that spreads from one place or person to another.

(nonstandard, rare) To send or infect an electronic device with a computer virus.

Examples of "virus" in Sentences

The Register's story says that the virus is affecting Royal Navy warships like the carrier HMS Ark Royal.
The virus, a sub-type of Ebola virus [_Ebola Reston virus_ is now ranked as a distinct virus species in the genus
At least for some simple viruses we're already at the Jurassic Park stage; if the genetic code of a virus is available, it can always be rebuilt.
The term "virus" is coined by researcher Fred Cohen, at the time a Ph.D. student at the University of Southern California, to describe self-replicating programs.
The CD-ROM didn't contain a virus per se, because a virus circulates mainly across computer networks, entering a computer surreptitiously the way a disease organism enters a living host (hence the term virus).
VII were naturally blank-faced idiots before the virus came, or maybe the virus was forced to damage some vital part just in order to fight back -- but it was the _virus_ that was being killed by its own host, not the other way around. "
Because the virus is already quite widespread in different locations, containment is not a feasible optionRealistically, containment was never a sustainable option once the disease spread to any major city with a significant transportation hub.
Unfortunately for Google, one of these 427 recepients is a potential spammer, a script kiddie, who sent a malignant mail containing a virus attachment to some Satyendra Sheth, who inturn started speculating that Google (or someone similar) sent him a virus* ..!!