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
Settlers carried viral diseases like smallpox and measles that decimated Indigenous populations.
—
Amanda Bellows, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2024
That very year routine vaccination against smallpox had ceased in the U.S., no longer needed because the disease had been eliminated from the country.
—Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2020
Here, Native Americans did not succumb to smallpox, and the powerful and ancient Cahokia nation has joined the United States.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
Watching towns burn today is like watching the return of polio or smallpox.
—Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smallpox 
Amanda Bellows, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2024
That very year routine vaccination against smallpox had ceased in the U.S., no longer needed because the disease had been eliminated from the country.
—Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2020
Here, Native Americans did not succumb to smallpox, and the powerful and ancient Cahokia nation has joined the United States.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
Watching towns burn today is like watching the return of polio or smallpox.
—Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smallpox
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smallpox.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Smallpox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smallpox. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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?
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