# rotavirus

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɹəʊtəˌvaɪɹəs/ · frequency rank #70,223

## Definitions
1. Any of a group of wheel-shaped viruses, of the genus Rotavirus, that causes gastroenteritis and diarrhea in children and animals.

## Etymology
From Latin rota (“wheel”) + virus. The name was first proposed in July 1974 in an article in The Lancet.

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