# prion

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹiːɒn/ · frequency rank #51,928

## Definitions
1. A self-propagating misfolded conformer of a protein that is responsible for a number of diseases that affect the brain and other neural tissue.

## Etymology
From (a reordering of) the initial letters of proteinaceous infectious particle. Coined by American neurologist and biochemist Stanley B. Prusiner in 1982.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prion