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computer virus

com·put·er vi·rus
C c

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kuh m-pyoo-ter vahy-ruh s]
    • /kəmˈpyu tər ˈvaɪ rəs/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kuh m-pyoo-ter vahy-ruh s]
    • /kəmˈpyu tər ˈvaɪ rəs/

Definitions of computer virus words

  • abbreviation Technical meaning of COMPUTER VIRUS virus 3
  • noun computer virus virus (def 4). 1
  • noun computer virus computing: bug 1
  • noun Definition of computer virus in Technology (security)   (By analogy with biological viruses, via science fiction) A program or piece of code, a type of malware, written by a cracker, that "infects" one or more other programs by embedding a copy of itself in them, so that they become Trojan horses. When these programs are executed, the embedded virus is executed too, thus propagating the "infection". This normally happens invisibly to the user. A virus has an "engine" - code that enables it to propagate and optionally a "payload" - what it does apart from propagating. It needs a "host" - the particular hardware and software environment on which it can run and a "trigger" - the event that starts it running. Unlike a worm, a virus cannot infect other computers without assistance. It is propagated by vectors such as humans trading programs with their friends (see SEX). The virus may do nothing but propagate itself and then allow the program to run normally. Usually, however, after propagating silently for a while, it starts doing things like writing "cute" messages on the terminal or playing strange tricks with the display (some viruses include display hacks). Viruses written by particularly antisocial crackers may do irreversible damage, like deleting files. By the 1990s, viruses had become a serious problem, especially among IBM PC and Macintosh users (the lack of security on these machines enables viruses to spread easily, even infecting the operating system). The production of special antivirus software has become an industry, and a number of exaggerated media reports have caused outbreaks of near hysteria among users. Many lusers tend to blame *everything* that doesn't work as they had expected on virus attacks. Accordingly, this sense of "virus" has passed into popular usage where it is often incorrectly used for other types of malware such as worms or Trojan horses. See boot virus, phage. Compare back door. See also Unix conspiracy. 1
  • noun computer virus (computing) A program which can covertly transmit itself between computers via networks (especially the Internet) or removable storage such as disks and USB drives, often causing damage to systems and data. 0
See all 5 definitions of computer virus

Information block about the term

Origin of computer virus

First appearance:

before 1985
One of the 1% newest English words
First recorded in 1985-90

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Computer virus

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Computer virus

computer virus popularity

This term is known only to a narrow circle of people with rare knowledge. Only 5% of English native speakers know the meaning of this word.
According to our data most of word are more popular. This word is almost not used. It has a much more popular synonym.

computer virus usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for computer virus

noun computer virus

  • trojan horse — Classical Mythology. a gigantic hollow wooden horse, left by the Greeks upon their pretended abandonment of the siege of Troy. The Trojans took it into Troy and Greek soldiers concealed in the horse opened the gates to the Greek army at night and conquered the city.
  • bug — A bug is an insect or similar small creature.
  • virus — an ultramicroscopic (20 to 300 nm in diameter), metabolically inert, infectious agent that replicates only within the cells of living hosts, mainly bacteria, plants, and animals: composed of an RNA or DNA core, a protein coat, and, in more complex types, a surrounding envelope.
All 3 Synonyms of computer virus

See also

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