オミクロン株

omikuron kabu
nounIntermediate Omicron variantLoanword from Englishオミクロン
🏥Medicine
technical

A variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, first identified in late 2021, known for its high transmissibility and ability to evade some immune responses.

オミクロン株は世界中で急速に広がりました。

The Omicron variant spread rapidly around the world.

💡

Named after the Greek letter 'Omicron' in the order of variant naming by the World Health Organization.

Collocations

オミクロン株の感染Omicron variant infectionオミクロン株のワクチンOmicron variant vaccine

💡Pro Tip

Pronunciation Tip

The 'オミクロン' part is pronounced 'oh-mee-krohn,' while '株' is pronounced 'kah-boo.'

📖Word Origin

Derived from the Greek letter 'Omicron' (Ο), used by the WHO to name COVID-19 variants in alphabetical order. The term '株' (kabu) means 'strain' or 'variant' in Japanese.

📝Usage Notes

In Japanese media and medical contexts, 'オミクロン株' is the standard term for the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The word 'オミクロン' is a loanword from English, while '株' is a native Japanese term.

Word Breakdown

オミクロン
Omicron (Greek letter)
loanword
+
strain/variant
native word
和英辞典