smallpox
noun
small·pox
ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks 
: 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
Part of the same family as the virus that causes smallpox, it is caused by a type of virus typically found in West and Central Africa.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Thanks to new vaccines, doctors had a way to prevent measles, the WHO launched a campaign to eradicate smallpox, and polio seemed on its way out.
—Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
Starting in the late 1960s, for instance, USAID helped lead the effort to eliminate smallpox and has also helped fight polio and other devastating diseases over the past six decades.
—Nicole Hassoun, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
Same with smallpox – eradicated from the entire globe because of a vaccine, and the same with Ebola and the same with measles, and on and on.
—Michael B. Teiger, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2025
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Thanks to new vaccines, doctors had a way to prevent measles, the WHO launched a campaign to eradicate smallpox, and polio seemed on its way out.
—Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
Starting in the late 1960s, for instance, USAID helped lead the effort to eliminate smallpox and has also helped fight polio and other devastating diseases over the past six decades.
—Nicole Hassoun, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
Same with smallpox – eradicated from the entire globe because of a vaccine, and the same with Ebola and the same with measles, and on and on.
—Michael B. Teiger, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smallpox
Cite this Entry
“Smallpox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smallpox. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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 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 minorLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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