Meanings
omicron variant1
- alternativeuncountableAlternative form of Omicron variant.
Omicron variant2
alternative omicron variant · alternative Omicron Variant
- uncountablebiologyThe highly virulent B.1.1.529 strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
Hochul said the omicron variant that has stoked fears of a new spread across the globe has yet to be found in New York, but warned it is likely to arrive.
2021 November 28, Joseph Spector, “New York declares state of emergency as COVID surges: Hochul warns omicron variant is likely to arrive”, in The Journal News, White Plains, NY, page A.22 more examples
It remains to be seen whether the Omicron variant newly identified from South Africa and carrying more than 50 point mutations in the genome, among which more than 30 are in the spike region, might out-compete Delta to become the next predominant strain in the near future.
2021, Kit-San Yuen; Zi-Wei Ye; Sin-Yee Fung; Pak-Hin Hinson Cheung; Chi-Ping, Chan; et al., “SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: revisiting the most important research questions”, in Cell & Bioscience, volume 11, →DOI, page 1PROFESSOR Tulio de Oliveira, best known locally for being one of the national and international experts fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and placing South Africa on the map for the discovery of the Omicron variant, has been named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for the second consecutive year (2024-2025) in the Cross-Field category.
2025 November 26, “Stellenbosch professor named among world’s top 1% researchers”, in Cape Argus, Cape Town, page 3Synonyms: omicron, omicron strain, omicron virus, Omicron, Omicron strain, Omicron virus
Omicron Variant3
- alternativeuncountableAlternative form of Omicron variant.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe highly virulent B.1.1.529 strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 奧密克戎毒株 /奥密克戎毒株
- 奧密克戎毒株 /奥密克戎毒株 (Àomìkèróng dúzhū)strain of the COVID-19 virus
Finnish omikronmuunnos
- omikronmuunnosstrain of the COVID-19 virus
French variant omicron
- variant omicronstrain of the COVID-19 virus
German Omikron-Variante
- Omikron-Variantestrain of the COVID-19 virus
Japanese オミクロン株
- オミクロン株 (omikuron kabu)strain of the COVID-19 virus
Korean 오미크론 변이
- 오미크론 변이 (omikeuron byeoni)strain of the COVID-19 virus
Portuguese variante ómicron
- variante ómicronstrain of the COVID-19 virus
Romanian variantă omicron
- variantă omicronstrain of the COVID-19 virus
Russian омикро̀н-вариа́нт
- омикро̀н-вариа́нт (omikròn-variánt)strain of the COVID-19 virus
Spanish variante ómicron
- variante ómicronstrain of the COVID-19 virus
Cite this entry
omicron variant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/omicron%20variant
“omicron variant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/omicron%20variant. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “omicron variant,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/omicron%20variant.
Source: omicron variant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.