Reoviridae

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A taxonomic family of viruses with segmented double-stranded RNA genomes that infect animals, plants, and fungi alike
2. The scientific grouping of segmented, double-stranded RNA viruses including rotaviruses and several plant pathogens
3. A family of non-enveloped viruses whose genomes consist of double-stranded RNA divided into multiple segments

Etymology: Reoviridae is a family name for a group of viruses, and its origin is a plain scientific coinage rather than an ancient word. It is built from "reo", an abbreviation of "respiratory enteric orphan", a label given to viruses that were found in the respiratory and gut tracts of humans but were not then linked to any known disease. The "-viridae" ending is the standard suffix that taxonomists attach to virus family names, drawn from Latin "virus", meaning poison or slimy liquid. The name therefore reflects a moment of uncertainty: the viruses were called orphans because scientists had no disease to attach them to. Later work showed that the group includes agents of significant illness, such as rotaviruses, which cause severe diarrhoea in infants, so the label long outlived the confusion that gave rise to it.