Smallpox

Pronunciation: /smɔːlpɑːks/

Definitions of smallpox

noun an acute, highly contagious, and often fatal infectious disease caused by the variola virus and characterized by a high fever and a distinctive rash

Example Sentences

A1 Smallpox is a contagious disease caused by the variola virus.

A2 Smallpox was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization in 1980.

B1 Vaccination campaigns were instrumental in eliminating smallpox from many countries.

B2 The last known case of smallpox occurred in Somalia in 1977.

C1 Smallpox has been used as a biological weapon in the past due to its high mortality rate.

C2 The discovery of the smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner revolutionized the field of immunology.

Examples of smallpox in a Sentence

formal Smallpox was a highly contagious and deadly disease caused by the variola virus.

informal I heard that smallpox was a really bad illness back in the day.

slang Smallpox was no joke, it could really mess you up.

figurative The spread of rumors in our office was like a smallpox outbreak, it just wouldn't stop.

Grammatical Forms of smallpox

• past tense: smallpoxed
• plural: smallpoxes
• comparative: smallpoxier
• superlative: smallpoxiest
• present tense: smallpoxes
• future tense: will smallpox
• perfect tense: have smallpoxed
• continuous tense: is smallpoxing
• singular: smallpox
• positive degree: smallpox
• infinitive: to smallpox
• gerund: smallpoxing
• participle: smallpoxed

Origin and Evolution of smallpox

First Known Use: 1568 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'smallpox' originated from the Old English word 'smael' meaning 'small' and 'poc' meaning 'pustule'.

Evolution of the word: The term 'smallpox' has been used consistently to refer to the highly contagious and deadly disease caused by the variola virus. Over time, advancements in medical science led to the development of a vaccine, which eventually led to the eradication of smallpox in 1980.