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

The procedure, called variolation, involved deliberately infecting a soldier with a small amount of smallpox virus to build immunity. — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 24 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

By this time, smallpox and other contagious diseases brought to the continent by the Europeans had begun to spread among the Aztecs, reducing their capital city’s population by 40 percent in 1520 alone. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 June 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

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