smallpox

noun

small·​pox ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks How to pronounce smallpox (audio)
: 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 The initiative came just three decades after Edward Jenner’s discovery of a method to immunize against smallpox. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Dec. 2023 Some of these viruses have been known for centuries, such as polio and smallpox, while others like Alaskapox have only recently emerged. Raúl Rivas González, Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024 The most well known of these is variola, or smallpox, a frequently fatal scourge that is one of the deadliest diseases in human history and is still the only human disease to have ever been eradicated. Robert Hart, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Peale didn’t omit Washington’s smallpox scars from his left cheek. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 27 Jan. 2024 Lincoln arrived back in Washington, D.C. from Pennsylvania late on November 19, 1863, suffering from variola, a supposedly mild form of smallpox that proved severe enough to send the exhausted orator to his sickbed for weeks. Harold Holzer, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024 Everyone knows by now that a virus can bring a nation to its knees — the tiny terrorists of smallpox, Spanish flu and COVID-19 have disrupted America’s story in lethal and tragic ways. Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 Vaccines were first discovered as an effective way to prevent viral infections 227 years ago when Edward Jenner, an English physician, used liquid from a cowpox lesion to create an injectable material that prevented the symptoms of smallpox, according to the study. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2024 Much of the later progress has been against tropical diseases like malaria as well as smallpox and polio. Marshall Ingwerson, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smallpox.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1562, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of smallpox was circa 1562

Dictionary Entries Near smallpox

Cite this Entry

“Smallpox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smallpox. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

smallpox

noun
small·​pox ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks How to pronounce smallpox (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce smallpox (audio)
: 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

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