omicron
noun
om·i·cron ˈō-mə-ˌkrän 
ˈä-mə-ˌkrän
ˈä-mə-ˌkrän British also ō-ˈmī-(ˌ)krän
plural omicrons
1
: the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet see Alphabet Table
2
or less commonly Omicron : omicron variant
The speed of omicron's rise is quicker than the rise of previous variants of the virus, said Hannah Barbian, a Rush University Medical Center virologist who worked on the testing. 
Sarah Freishtat
Sarah Freishtat
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The new boosters from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech target the highly contagious BA.5 omicron subvariant, as well as the original coronavirus strain. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 8 Sep. 2022 Any new variant that could change the pandemic's trajectory would have to be more transmissible than the omicron subvariant BA.5 currently circulating. Arkansas Online, 4 Sep. 2022 Any new variant that could change the pandemic’s trajectory would have to be more transmissible than the omicron subvariant BA.5 currently circulating. Joel Achenbach And Lena H. Sun, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Sep. 2022 Pfizer and German partner BioNTech have submitted their new COVID-19 booster – that targets the omicron subvariant BA.5 – to the FDA for emergency use authorization, the companies announced Monday. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 27 Aug. 2022 In late June, the FDA directed Moderna and Pfizer to make vaccines for the upcoming winter that targeted the more contagious BA.5 omicron subvariant, along with the original COVID strain. Cheyenne Haslett, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2022 Another recently identified omicron subvariant was shown to be more robust than other coronavirus strains, according to the results of a new study. Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Aug. 2022 According to health officials, the BA.5 omicron subvariant is fueling the ongoing surge. Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Aug. 2022 This time, the contagious omicron subvariant BA.5 is causing a surge in cases and a return to universal masking inside schools. Olivia Krauth, The Courier-Journal, 9 Aug. 2022 See More
Erika Edwards, NBC News, 8 Sep. 2022 Any new variant that could change the pandemic's trajectory would have to be more transmissible than the omicron subvariant BA.5 currently circulating. Arkansas Online, 4 Sep. 2022 Any new variant that could change the pandemic’s trajectory would have to be more transmissible than the omicron subvariant BA.5 currently circulating. Joel Achenbach And Lena H. Sun, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Sep. 2022 Pfizer and German partner BioNTech have submitted their new COVID-19 booster – that targets the omicron subvariant BA.5 – to the FDA for emergency use authorization, the companies announced Monday. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 27 Aug. 2022 In late June, the FDA directed Moderna and Pfizer to make vaccines for the upcoming winter that targeted the more contagious BA.5 omicron subvariant, along with the original COVID strain. Cheyenne Haslett, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2022 Another recently identified omicron subvariant was shown to be more robust than other coronavirus strains, according to the results of a new study. Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Aug. 2022 According to health officials, the BA.5 omicron subvariant is fueling the ongoing surge. Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Aug. 2022 This time, the contagious omicron subvariant BA.5 is causing a surge in cases and a return to universal masking inside schools. Olivia Krauth, The Courier-Journal, 9 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Greek o mikron, literally, small o
First Known Use
1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing omicron
Medical Definition
omicron
noun
om·i·cron ˈō-mə-ˌkrän ˈä-mə-ˌkrän
ˈä-mə-ˌkrän British also ō-ˈmī-(ˌ)krän
1
: the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet
2
also Omicron : omicron variant
After the emergence of omicron was announced, several nations imposed travel bans hoping to contain the virus. Louis Jacobson, California Healthline
Louis Jacobson, California HealthlineThe CDC said that data show COVID-19 boosters help boost protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. FDAnews Drug Daily Bulletin
FDAnews Drug Daily Bulletin