smallpox

noun small·pox \ ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks \

Definition of smallpox

: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

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The agency announced that on Friday, Aug. 25th, U.S. Marshals seized five vials of a vaccine that is intended for people at a high risk for smallpox (for example, people in the military) from StemImmune Inc. in San Diego, California.

— alexandra sifferlin, Time, "FDA Cracks Down on Stem Cell Clinics But Patients Are Still at Risk," 29 Aug. 2017
The other was a concerning announcement that the agency had seized five vials of smallpox vaccine from stem cell clinics in California.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Dubious stem cell clinic got hold of smallpox vaccine. FDA just took it away," 28 Aug. 2017
The centers were giving cancer patients injections of a vaccine typically used for patients at high risk for smallpox, according to the FDA.

— diane c. lade, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Sunrise stem cell clinic violating federal regulations, FDA says," 28 Aug. 2017
The Ebola and smallpox viruses are also classified as Tier 1, according to the CDC.

— elyssa cherney, chicagotribune.com, "Northwestern prof, suspect in fatal stabbing, was denied security clearance to work in France," 8 Aug. 2017
The Canadian researchers are working with the pharmaceutical company Tonix to develop a smallpox vaccine.

— rachael rettner senior writer, Fox News, "People could make smallpox from scratch in a lab, scientists warn," 17 July 2017
The researchers theorized that clusters of small holes present in diseases such as smallpox, measles, typhus, and others could cause an outsized reaction for trypophobes who saw similar patterns in everyday objects.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "If These Photos Disgust You, You May Have Trypophobia," 12 July 2017
As the BBC reported in May, scientists suspect smallpox and the bubonic plague are trapped in Siberian ice, too — an abridged history of devastating human sickness, left out like egg salad in the Arctic sun.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "It's No Exaggeration to Say Human Civilization Is at Stake," 10 July 2017
As the BBC reported in May, scientists suspect smallpox and the bubonic plague are trapped in Siberian ice, too — an abridged history of devastating human sickness, left out like egg salad in the Arctic sun.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "It's No Exaggeration to Say Human Civilization Is at Stake," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'smallpox.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of smallpox

circa 1562

SMALLPOX Defined for English Language Learners

smallpox

noun

Definition of smallpox for English Language Learners

: a serious disease that causes fever and a rash and often death

SMALLPOX Defined for Kids

smallpox

noun small·pox \ ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks \

Definition of smallpox for Students

:a sometimes deadly disease in which fever and skin rash occur and which is believed to have been wiped out worldwide by vaccination

Medical Dictionary

smallpox

noun small·pox \ ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks \

medical Definition of smallpox

: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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See words that rhyme with smallpox Spanish Central: Translation of smallpox Nglish: Translation of smallpox for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of smallpox for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about smallpox

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