smallpox: Meaning and Definition of

small•pox

Pronunciation: (smôl'poks"), [key]
— n. Pathol.
  1. an acute, highly contagious, febrile disease, caused by the variola virus, and characterized by a pustular eruption that often leaves permanent pits or scars: eradicated worldwide by vaccination programs.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: