Learn GreekB2 › ιός

ιός

virus /iˈos/

nounB2#2511 most common

Also: poison (archaic/literary), venom (archaic/literary)

Example sentences

Ο ιός είναι πολύ μικρός.
The virus is very small.
Ο γιατρός είπε ότι έχω έναν ιό.
The doctor said I have a virus.
Ο υπολογιστής μου κόλλησε έναν ιό.
My computer caught a virus.
Ο ιός της γρίπης εξαπλώνεται γρήγορα τον χειμώνα.
The flu virus spreads quickly in winter.
Η εξάπλωση του ιού ανάγκασε τις αρχές να επιβάλουν περιοριστικά μέτρα.
The spread of the virus forced the authorities to impose restrictive measures.
Η ταχεία μετάλλαξη των ιών δυσχεραίνει την ανάπτυξη αποτελεσματικών εμβολίων.
The rapid mutation of viruses complicates the development of effective vaccines.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeο ιόςοι ιοί
Genitiveτου ιούτων ιών
Accusativeτον ιότους ιούς
Vocativeιέιοί

Word family

ιικόςviral
αντιιικόςantiviral
ιολόγοςvirologist
ιολογίαvirology

Etymology

Ancient Greek ἰός meant poison or venom, especially snake venom. The word is old and shares an Indo-European root with terms for poison and flowing liquid in other languages. Modern Greek reused it for the biological and computer sense of virus, following the same shift that happened with Latin virus, which also originally meant poison or slime.

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