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
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The school once contributed to the eradication of smallpox and the development of the polio vaccine, led breakthroughs linking air pollution to lung and heart disease, and helped demonstrate the harms of trans fats.
—
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
This is the formula—see, believe, create—that has eradicated smallpox, cut deaths from heart disease by more than two thirds, and eliminated lead from gasoline, raising children’s IQs around the world.
—Dr. Tom Frieden, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
The population also included survivors of the African slave trade who were returned to the island and brought with them diseases, including smallpox.
—Ted Powers, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Shortly after Las Casas’s conversion, a smallpox epidemic swept through Hispaniola, killing, within a few months, nearly a quarter of the island’s population.
—Greg Grandin
september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
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Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
This is the formula—see, believe, create—that has eradicated smallpox, cut deaths from heart disease by more than two thirds, and eliminated lead from gasoline, raising children’s IQs around the world.
—Dr. Tom Frieden, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
The population also included survivors of the African slave trade who were returned to the island and brought with them diseases, including smallpox.
—Ted Powers, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Shortly after Las Casas’s conversion, a smallpox epidemic swept through Hispaniola, killing, within a few months, nearly a quarter of the island’s population.
—Greg Grandin
september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 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 20 Oct. 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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