virino
Pronunciation: /vɪˈriːnəʊ/
Definition of virino
noun ( plural virinos)
Microbiology- a hypothetical infectious particle postulated as the cause of scrapie, BSE, and CJD, consisting of non-coding nucleic acid in a protective coat made from host cell proteins. Compare with prion2.
Origin:
1970s: from virus + the diminutive suffix -ino