Any of a group of small DNA viruses, most of which infect mammals and can cause sarcoma and warts.
 Example sentencesExamples
-  Phleomycin, a copper-containing antibiotic, was effective in blocking the synthesis of infectious simian papovavirus SV40.
 -  Eighty-three percent of hamsters inoculated at birth with JC virus, a human papovavirus isolated from brain tissue of a case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, developed malignant gliomas within 6 months.