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prion

UK:^*^*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈpriːɒn/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(Birds prī′on; Microbiol. prē′on, prī′-)

pri•on¹ (prī′on),USA pronunciation n.

Birdsany of several petrels of the genus Pachyptila, located in the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere and having serrated edges on the bill.

Greek príōn a saw
Neo-Latin
1840–50

pri•on² (prē′on, prī′-),USA pronunciation n.

Microbiologya tiny proteinaceous particle, likened to viruses and viroids, but having no genetic component, thought to be an infectious agent in bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and similar encephalopathies.

pr(oteinaceous) + i(nfectious) + -on¹ 1980–85

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

prion /ˈpriːɒn/ n

a protein in the brain, an abnormal form of which is thought to be the transmissible agent responsible for certain spongiform encephalopathies, such as BSE, scrapie, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and kuru

Etymology: 20th Century: altered from pro(teinaceous) in(fectious particle)

'prion' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

BSE - Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - bovine spongiform encephalopathy

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prion