polio

American

[poh-lee-oh] / ˈpoʊ liˌoʊ /

noun

poliomyelitis.

polio British

/ ˈpəʊlɪəʊ /

noun

short for poliomyelitis

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of polio

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; shortened form

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We no longer see devastating illnesses like polio and haemophilus meningitis in children, thanks to the effectiveness of herd immunity.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

Born in 1943, she was diagnosed with polio aged two.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

As a historical counterweight, consider Jonas Salk, the inventor of the polio vaccine, who refused to patent it.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Health officials will continue to recommend the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and those against polio, chickenpox and HPV.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

Where most kids want themed birthday parties at chain restaurants, Bren always wants Abuela’s legendary arroz con polio and La Cocina’s famous homemade mint juice.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023