smallpox
noun
small·pox ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks 
: an acute contagious febrile disease of humans that is caused by a poxvirus (species Variola virus of the genus Orthopoxvirus), is characterized by a skin eruption with pustules, sloughing, and scar formation, and is believed to have been eradicated globally by widespread vaccination
called also variola
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The antiviral, prescribed to tens of thousands of monkeypox patients, is approved for the related smallpox virus. 
Lena H. Sun And Dan Diamond, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Sep. 2022 The virus originated in Africa and is the cousin of the smallpox virus. Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, 5 Sep. 2022 Initial cases of monkeypox — related to the smallpox virus — were linked to international travel. Jeremy C. Fox, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2022 Monkeypox, a cousin of the smallpox virus, is generally a mild illness with the most common symptoms being rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 28 July 2022 After the anthrax bioterrorism attacks in 2001, federal officials became increasingly concerned about the risk of someone attacking the U.S. military or general population with smallpox virus. Joseph Osmundson, STAT, 15 July 2022 Closely related to the smallpox virus, monkeypox has spread predominantly among gay and bisexual men. Hartford Courant, 13 July 2022 The monkeypox virus, closely related to the smallpox virus, is easy to avoid because of its visibility, said Dr. Sharon Welbel, Cook County Health’s director of hospital epidemiology and infection control and prevention. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2022 Public-health officials have more tools available to fight monkeypox because vaccines and drugs that work against the closely related smallpox virus are thought to be effective against its milder cousin. Denise Roland And Jon Kamp, WSJ, 26 June 2022 See More
Lena H. Sun And Dan Diamond, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Sep. 2022 The virus originated in Africa and is the cousin of the smallpox virus. Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, 5 Sep. 2022 Initial cases of monkeypox — related to the smallpox virus — were linked to international travel. Jeremy C. Fox, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2022 Monkeypox, a cousin of the smallpox virus, is generally a mild illness with the most common symptoms being rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 28 July 2022 After the anthrax bioterrorism attacks in 2001, federal officials became increasingly concerned about the risk of someone attacking the U.S. military or general population with smallpox virus. Joseph Osmundson, STAT, 15 July 2022 Closely related to the smallpox virus, monkeypox has spread predominantly among gay and bisexual men. Hartford Courant, 13 July 2022 The monkeypox virus, closely related to the smallpox virus, is easy to avoid because of its visibility, said Dr. Sharon Welbel, Cook County Health’s director of hospital epidemiology and infection control and prevention. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2022 Public-health officials have more tools available to fight monkeypox because vaccines and drugs that work against the closely related smallpox virus are thought to be effective against its milder cousin. Denise Roland And Jon Kamp, WSJ, 26 June 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
circa 1562, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
smallpox
noun
small·pox ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks
: a sometimes deadly disease in which fever and skin rash occur and which is believed to have been wiped out worldwide by vaccination
Medical Definition
smallpox
noun
small·pox ˈsmȯl-ˌpäks
: an acute contagious febrile disease of humans that is caused by a poxvirus of the genus Orthopoxvirus (species Variola virus), is characterized by skin eruption with pustules, sloughing, and scar formation, and is believed to have been eradicated globally by widespread vaccination
called also variola
see variola major, variola minor