smallpox
noun
small·pox
ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks 
: an acute contagious febrile disease of humans that is caused by a poxvirus (Orthopoxvirus variola), is characterized by a skin eruption with pustules, sloughing, and scar formation, and has been eradicated globally by widespread vaccination
called also variola
Examples of smallpox in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unsurprisingly, the smallpox virus was unmoved by such piety.
—
Tom Levenson, Time, 20 May 2026
In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner successfully inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps against smallpox by using cowpox matter.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Convinced by anecdotes of farmworkers who had contracted cowpox and not smallpox, Edward Jenner hypothesized the cowpox protected them.
—USA Today, 6 May 2026
This includes illnesses such as cholera, bubonic plague, typhus, measles and smallpox — diseases that historically have caused large outbreaks, especially when populations mix, as seen when the New World was exposed to Europeans.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for smallpox
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Tom Levenson, Time, 20 May 2026
In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner successfully inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps against smallpox by using cowpox matter.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Convinced by anecdotes of farmworkers who had contracted cowpox and not smallpox, Edward Jenner hypothesized the cowpox protected them.
—USA Today, 6 May 2026
This includes illnesses such as cholera, bubonic plague, typhus, measles and smallpox — diseases that historically have caused large outbreaks, especially when populations mix, as seen when the New World was exposed to Europeans.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for smallpox
Cite this Entry
“Smallpox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smallpox. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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 (Orthopoxvirus variola), is characterized by skin eruption with pustules, sloughing, and scar formation, and has been eradicated globally by widespread vaccination
called also variola
see variola major, variola minorLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
