variole

American

[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.

variole British

/ ˈvɛərɪˌəʊl /

noun

any of the rounded masses that make up the rock variolite

"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 variole

1820–30; < French: variola

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.

Pap′illūle, a very small papilla, a verruca or a variole.

From Project Gutenberg

"Sacre nom d'un pipe," rapped out the Belgian doctor; "variole!"

From Project Gutenberg

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