A common virus that infects most people and causes cells to become abnormally enlarged, usually causing no symptoms in healthy people but dangerous in immunocompromised individuals.
From Greek 'cyto-' (cell) + 'megalo-' (large) + 'virus'. The name describes the virus's characteristic effect of making infected cells swollen and gigantic under the microscope.
CMV is so common that about 40% of Americans have been infected without knowing it—your immune system keeps it dormant, but in premature babies and AIDS patients it can cause blindness.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.