prion

noun pree-OHN Rare

Origin: Coined 1982 by Stanley Prusiner from 'proteinaceous infectious particle'

Usage Note

Prion refers to the misfolded protein particle responsible for neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The word is the same in French and English. In French it is masculine — un prion.

Examples

"La maladie est causée par des prions."

Natural Translation

The disease is caused by prions.

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