English edit

Etymology edit

PIE word
*wisós

From Middle English virulent (leaking or seeping pus, purulent; (of putrefaction) extremely severe (sense uncertain)) [and other forms],[1] borrowed from Latin vīrulentus (poisonous), from vīrus (poison; venom; slime, slimy liquid; stinking smell; nasty taste)[2] (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wisós (poison; slime; fluidity)) + -ulentus (suffix meaning ‘abounding in, full of’, forming adjectives).

Sense 4 (“of a pathogen: replicating within its host cell, then immediately causing it to undergo lysis”) is derived from French virulent, which was first used in this sense by the French biologist François Jacob (1920–2013) and his co-authors in a 1953 article.[2][3]

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

virulent (comparative more virulent, superlative most virulent)

  1. Of animals, plants, or substances: extremely venomous or poisonous.
    Antonyms: harmless, nonvirulent
  2. (figurative) Extremely hostile or malicious; intensely acrimonious.
    The politicians were virulent in their hatred of the president.
    • c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c.:
      More venemous and much more virulent / Then any poyſoned tode, or any ſerpent.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, “The Well House”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 105:
      It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.
  3. (medicine) Of a disease or disease-causing agent: malignant, able to cause damage to the host.
    Antonyms: benign, nonvirulent
  4. (microbiology) Of a pathogen: replicating within its host cell, then immediately causing it to undergo lysis. [from 1953]

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ vīrulent, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. 2.0 2.1 virulent, adj.”, in OED Online  , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1917; “virulent, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  3. ^ F[rançois] Jacob; A[ndré Michel] Lwoff; A. Siminovich; É[lie] Wollman (January 1953), “Définition de Quelques Termes Relatifs a la Lysogénie [Definition of Some Terms Relating to Lysogeny]”, in Annales de l’Institut Pasteur, volume 84, issue 1, Paris: Masson et Cie, [], →OCLC, page 223: “Phage virulent. – Phage incapable de donner des systèmes lysogénes.”

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit

Catalan edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin vīrulentus.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

virulent (feminine virulenta, masculine plural virulents, feminine plural virulentes)

  1. virulent

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

Danish edit

Etymology edit

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adjective edit

virulent (plural and definite singular attributive virulente)

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Further reading edit

French edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Late Latin virulentus. The second sense is probably a semantic loan from English.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

virulent (feminine virulente, masculine plural virulents, feminine plural virulentes)

  1. (medicine) virulent
  2. virulent (hostile)

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

German edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin virulentus.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /viʁuˈlɛnt/
  • Hyphenation: vi‧ru‧lent
  • (file)

Adjective edit

virulent (strong nominative masculine singular virulenter, not comparable)

  1. (medicine) virulent

Declension edit

Further reading edit

  • virulent” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • virulent” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • virulent” in Duden online

Romanian edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French virulent, from Latin virulentus.

Adjective edit

virulent m or n (feminine singular virulentă, masculine plural virulenți, feminine and neuter plural virulente)

  1. virulent

Declension edit