Papillomavirus

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /papɪˈləʊməvʌɪɹəs/

Definitions

1. A group of viruses known to cause benign and malignant growths in epithelial tissues, including warts and cancers, primarily affecting the skin and mucous membranes
2. A family of DNA viruses that can lead to various lesions, with certain types implicated in cervical and other anogenital cancers
3. A diverse set of viral agents that may result in the formation of tumors or warts, influencing health conditions in humans and some animals

Etymology: Papillomavirus is a plain compound, built from "papilloma" and "virus." The first part comes from Latin "papilla," meaning a nipple-like bump or small projection, combined with the Greek-derived suffix "-oma," used in medicine for a tumour or growth. So a papilloma is a growth that forms wart-like or nipple-like protrusions on the skin or a mucous surface. The second part, "virus," is the Latin word for a poison or slimy liquid, which was borrowed into English as the name for infectious agents too small to see with an ordinary microscope. Joining the two gives a name for the viruses that cause papillomas. The compound describes the disease first and the agent second, so the word points to the growths rather than to the microbe itself.