Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

human immunodeficiency virus

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.70 in modern English

Syllables
hu-man im-mun-od-e-fi-cien-cy virus
IPA
49
Scrabble Score
26
Letters
8
Syllables
15
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Either of the two species of retroviruses that infect cells in the human immune system and can potentially lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Etymology

The name was first proposed by a subcommittee of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses on 1 May 1986 in the Nature journal (as human immunodeficiency virus, along with its initialism HIV), in an effort to establish an internationally acceptable name to replace “the multiplicity of names currently in use”. However, the term is first attested on 11 April 1986 in the Capital Gay newspaper (as human immune deficiency virus).

Inflected Forms

human immunodeficiency viruses (plural) human immune deficiency virus (alternative)

Phrases

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Frequently Paired Words

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome :Category:en:HIV/AIDS simian immunodeficiency virus SIV

Synonyms

HIV human immunodeficiency virus AIDS virus HIV virus house in Virginia human T-lymphotropic virus III HTLV-III lymphadenopathy-associated virus LAV

Questions

What does human immunodeficiency virus mean?
Either of the two species of retroviruses that infect cells in the human immune system and can potentially lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Where does human immunodeficiency virus come from?
The name was first proposed by a subcommittee of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses on 1 May 1986 in the Nature journal (as human immunodeficiency virus, along with its initialism HIV), in an effort to establish an internationally acceptable name to replace “the multiplicity of names currently in use”. However, the term is first attested on 11 April 1986 in the Capital Gay newspaper (as human immune deficiency virus).

How to pronounce human immunodeficiency virus

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