smallpox

noun

small·​pox ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks 

: an acute contagious febrile disease of humans that is caused by a poxvirus (Orthopoxvirus variola), is characterized by a skin eruption with pustules, sloughing, and scar formation, and has been eradicated globally by widespread vaccination

called also variola

Examples of smallpox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nurses attended to the injured as smallpox swept through the ranks. — Kinsey Gidick, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026

Light seven lanterns if, in lieu of an invasion, there is another smallpox outbreak. — Evan Allgood, New Yorker, 1 July 2026

In 1800, just as the first true vaccine—against smallpox—came into use, life expectancy at birth hovered around thirty years worldwide. — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Hanuse uses footage of the smallpox survivors in the film that is over 100 years old, underscoring the devastation but also their strength. — Carole Horst, Variety, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1562, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for smallpox

• botox
• checkbox
• comox
• cornstalks
• cowpox
• crosswalks
• deadlocks
• detox
• feedstocks
• gearbox
• hemlocks
• icebox

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 (Orthopoxvirus variola), is characterized by skin eruption with pustules, sloughing, and scar formation, and has been eradicated globally by widespread vaccination

called also variola

see variola major, variola minor