cowpox

noun

cow·​pox ˈkau̇-ˌpäks How to pronounce cowpox (audio)
: a mild eruptive disease of the cow that is caused by a poxvirus (Orthopoxvirus cowpox) and that when communicated to humans protects against smallpox

Examples of cowpox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Convinced by anecdotes of farmworkers who had contracted cowpox and not smallpox, Edward Jenner hypothesized the cowpox protected them. USA Today, 6 May 2026 Biologists celebrate Edward Jenner’s cowpox vaccination. Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2026 Jenner inoculated an 8-year-old boy using matter from a cowpox sore on the hand of a milkmaid. Chris Mueller, Austin American-Statesman, 29 Nov. 2024 Case in point: nearly a century before Albert Nobel died in 1896, Edward Jenner demonstrated that inoculation with cowpox, a relatively mild virus, confers immunity against smallpox. Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for cowpox

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cowpox was in 1798

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Cite this Entry

“Cowpox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cowpox. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

cowpox

noun
cow·​pox ˈkau̇-ˌpäks How to pronounce cowpox (audio)
: a mild disease of the cow that is caused by a virus and that when passed on to human beings produces a temporary rash and protects against smallpox

Medical Definition

cowpox

noun
cow·​pox ˈkau̇-ˌpäks How to pronounce cowpox (audio)
: a mild eruptive disease of the cow that is caused by a poxvirus (Orthopoxvirus cowpox) and that when communicated to humans protects against smallpox

called also variola vaccinia

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