n., pl., -rus·es.
Any of a group of DNA-containing animal viruses that form characteristic inclusion bodies within the nuclei of host cells and cause diseases such as chickenpox, infectious mononucleosis, herpes simplex, and shingles.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
