tobacco mosaic virus: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Scientific
Quick answer
What does “tobacco mosaic virus” mean?
A widespread plant virus that causes a characteristic mottling pattern on the leaves of infected tobacco plants and many other species.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A widespread plant virus that causes a characteristic mottling pattern on the leaves of infected tobacco plants and many other species.
Often referred to as the first virus ever discovered (late 19th century), it serves as a model organism in virology for studying viral structure, replication, and transmission. The term is also used generically to describe the visual symptom (mosaic pattern) caused by various related viruses in plants.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling remains consistent as it is a technical proper noun.
Connotations
Identical scientific connotations in both variants.
Frequency
Identical, extremely low-frequency in general discourse, common only in specific scientific fields.
Grammar
How to Use “tobacco mosaic virus” in a Sentence
The [plant] is infected with tobacco mosaic virus.Tobacco mosaic virus causes [symptom] in [host].Researchers isolated tobacco mosaic virus from the [sample].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tobacco mosaic virus” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The crop was badly tobacco mosaic virused.
- The plants tobacco mosaic virus easily under glass.
American English
- The field was completely TMV'd by harvest.
- This cultivar tends to tobacco mosaic virus in warm conditions.
adjective
British English
- The tobacco mosaic virus infection devastated the greenhouse.
- We observed classic tobacco-mosaic-virus symptoms.
American English
- The TMV-positive samples were sequestered.
- A tobacco mosaic virus outbreak was confirmed.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in agricultural business contexts concerning crop protection and biosecurity.
Academic
Common in virology, plant pathology, microbiology, and history of science publications and lectures.
Everyday
Virtually non-existent.
Technical
The primary domain. Used in lab reports, research papers, agricultural extension documents, and plant health diagnostics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tobacco mosaic virus”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “tobacco mosaic virus”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tobacco mosaic virus”
- Incorrect plural: 'tobacco mosaic viruses' (acceptable when referring to different strains, but often the singular 'virus' is used generically).
- Mispronunciation: stressing 'mosaic' on the first syllable (/ˈmoʊ.zeɪ.ɪk/) instead of the second (/moʊˈzeɪ.ɪk/).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, tobacco mosaic virus is a plant virus and is not known to infect humans or animals.
It is primarily spread mechanically through contact. This can occur via contaminated tools, hands, or plant-to-plant contact. It is not typically spread by insects.
It refers to the distinctive mosaic-like pattern of light and dark green or yellow mottling that appears on the leaves of infected plants.
No. While first identified in tobacco, it has a very wide host range, infecting over 350 species of plants, including important crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.
A widespread plant virus that causes a characteristic mottling pattern on the leaves of infected tobacco plants and many other species.
Tobacco mosaic virus is usually technical / scientific in register.
Tobacco mosaic virus: in British English it is pronounced /təˌbæk.əʊ məʊˌzeɪ.ɪk ˈvaɪə.rəs/, and in American English it is pronounced /təˌbæk.oʊ moʊˌzeɪ.ɪk ˈvaɪ.rəs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a MOSAIC artwork made from broken pieces. The virus creates a broken, mosaic-like pattern on TOBACCO leaves.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SABOTEUR / INFILTRATOR (it enters plant cells and hijacks their machinery).
Practice
Quiz
Tobacco mosaic virus is primarily significant in the history of science because: