variole

[ vair-ee-ohl ]
/ ˈvɛər iˌoʊl /

noun

a shallow pit or depression like the mark left by a smallpox pustule; foveola.
a light-colored spherule, common in some igneous rocks, that gives a pockmarked appearance to weathered rock surfaces.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.
to cause to be empty or unoccupied.
to assent tacitly; agree; consent.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of variole

1820–30; <French: variola

Words nearby variole

vario-, variocoupler, variola, variolate, variola virus, variole, varioliform, variolite, variolitic, varioloid, variolous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for variole

British Dictionary definitions for variole

variole
/ (ˈvɛərɪˌəʊl) /

noun

any of the rounded masses that make up the rock variolite

Word Origin for variole

C19: from French, from Medieval Latin; see variola
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