smallpox

American  

[smawl-poks] / ˈsmɔlˌpɒks /

noun

Pathology.

1. an acute, highly contagious, febrile disease, caused by the variola virus, and characterized by a pustular eruption that often leaves permanent pits or scars: eradicated worldwide by vaccination programs.

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smallpox British  

/ ˈsmɔːlˌpɒks /

noun

1. Technical name: variola. an acute highly contagious viral disease characterized by high fever, severe prostration, and a pinkish rash changing in form from papules to pustules, which dry up and form scabs that are cast off, leaving pitted depressions

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smallpox Scientific  

/ smôl′pŏks′ /

1. A highly infectious and often fatal disease caused by the variola virus of the genus Orthopoxvirus and characterized by fever, headache, and severely inflamed skin sores that result in extensive scarring. Once a dreaded killer of children that caused the deaths of millions of Native Americans after the arrival of European settlers in the Americas, smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980 following a worldwide vaccination campaign. Samples of the virus have been preserved in laboratories in the United States and Russia.

2. Also called variola

3. See Note at Jenner

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smallpox Cultural  

1. An acute and infectious disease caused by a virus and now almost completely eradicated. Smallpox was characterized by high fever and large sores on the body that leave scars.

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Discover More

Today, the smallpox virus exists only in laboratories.

A surface with many blemishes is sometimes said to be “pockmarked” because it resembles the skin of a smallpox sufferer.

The use of smallpox is a major concern in the area of bioterrorism (see also bioterrorism).

Smallpox is the first disease of humans to be completely eradicated by a worldwide campaign of inoculation.

Etymology

Origin of smallpox

First recorded in 1510–20; small + pox

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Explanation

Smallpox was a deadly, contagious virus that left survivors scarred and often blind. A smallpox vaccine was developed in 1796, but the disease wasn't officially eradicated until 1980. Smallpox is a great example of what vaccination campaigns can accomplish. During the 20th century, there were as many as 500 million deaths from smallpox. It was particularly dangerous for children, 80 percent of whom died from it after being infected. Smallpox was notable for the rash of pustules it caused on the skin, as well as a high fever and muscle pain.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

smallpox

According to Yang, poxviruses, a group that includes the viruses responsible for smallpox and mpox, appear to have ways of managing this problem.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

The scientific research in those cases involved work around the mosquito-born chikungunya virus, a "highly-pathogenic" strain of the bird flu, a family of viruses that include smallpox and mpox, venoms and other toxins.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Cases of whooping cough, polio, smallpox, rubella and diphtheria fell by 99-100% after vaccinations for each became standard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Mpox is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox, although it is much less severe.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Without inoculation, she said, the smallpox epidemic could easily have handed the colonies back to the British.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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