prion

Meanings

Plural: prions

Noun

(microbiology) an infectious protein particle similar to a virus but lacking nucleic acid; thought to be the agent responsible for scrapie and other degenerative diseases of the nervous system
A self-propagating misfolded conformer of a protein that is responsible for a number of diseases that affect the brain and other neural tissue.
A petrel of the genera Pachyptila and Halobaena.

Origin / Etymology

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

Synonyms

pachyptile

Scrabble Score: 7

prion is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
prion is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
prion is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

prion is a valid Words With Friends word