Word
pox
US/ˈpɑks/
UK/pˈɒks/
Definitions
01a skin disease
n. a disease that causes small, painful spots or marks on the skin.
n. any of several viral diseases characterized by purulent skin eruptions that often leave permanent pockmarks.
“In the past, many children suffered from the pox before vaccines were common.”
“Historical records indicate that the pox decimated the local population long before modern medical interventions were available.”
Archaic
Usage
Often used as a suffix in modern English, such as 'chickenpox' or 'smallpox'.
02a curse
n. a way to wish bad luck or illness on someone.
n. a curse or imprecation, most famously used in the idiom 'a pox on both your houses'.
“He shouted 'a pox on you' when he lost the argument.”
“The character delivers a bitter monologue, wishing a pox upon his enemies for their perceived betrayal.”
Literary · Archaic
Teaching tip
This sense is almost exclusively found in Shakespearean literature or humorous, mock-archaic speech today.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03to infect
v. to give someone a disease that causes skin spots.
v. to infect a person with a pox-like disease, particularly syphilis in historical contexts.
“The old story tells of a man who was poxed after his travels.”
“The satirical poem describes a city where half the inhabitants were poxed by their own vices.”
Archaic · Formal
Usage
Usually appears in the passive voice as 'to be poxed'.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Infected animals are left covered in characteristic pox scars.” “A fresh outbreak of mpox in Guinea Bissau – the country’s first – means the virus formerly known as monkey pox is back in the headlines.” Etymology
From the plural of Middle English pocke. See also pock.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/pox