smallpox

noun

small·​pox ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks 

: an acute contagious febrile disease of humans that is caused by a poxvirus (species Variola virus of the genus Orthopoxvirus), is characterized by a skin eruption with pustules, sloughing, and scar formation, and is believed to have been eradicated globally by widespread vaccination

called also variola

Examples of smallpox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Here, Native Americans did not succumb to smallpox, and the powerful and ancient Cahokia nation has joined the United States. —The New Yorker, 12 June 2024

Watching towns burn today is like watching the return of polio or smallpox. —Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024

Elsewhere, Eddie tries to figure out why the Lincoln family’s security detail has disappeared and this, too, seems to have something to do with uniforms, specifically uniforms laden with smallpox. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2024

Such actors played important roles in massively ambitious, transformative initiatives that took place in the Third World in that era, including the green revolution in agriculture and the global eradication of smallpox. —Erez Manela, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1562, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

smallpox

noun

small·​pox ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks 

: a sometimes deadly disease that is caused by a virus, is characterized by fever and a skin rash, and is believed to have been wiped out worldwide as a result of vaccination

Medical Definition

smallpox

noun

small·​pox ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks 

: an acute contagious febrile disease of humans that is caused by a poxvirus of the genus Orthopoxvirus (species Variola virus), is characterized by skin eruption with pustules, sloughing, and scar formation, and is believed to have been eradicated globally by widespread vaccination

called also variola

see variola major, variola minor