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
She was already widowed when her son died of smallpox in 1879, at the age of twenty-four.
—
Anika Burgess, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
These conditions fostered infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, smallpox and dysentery.
—Anita Moncrease, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2026
But vaccines for smallpox and some other diseases had been around for at least half a century before the 1940s, and had failed to create widespread immunity.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
To date, the only other human disease ever eradicated was the virus that caused smallpox.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Feb. 2026
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Anika Burgess, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
These conditions fostered infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, smallpox and dysentery.
—Anita Moncrease, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2026
But vaccines for smallpox and some other diseases had been around for at least half a century before the 1940s, and had failed to create widespread immunity.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
To date, the only other human disease ever eradicated was the virus that caused smallpox.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smallpox
Cite this Entry
“Smallpox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smallpox. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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 (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 minorLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
