smallpox
n. uncountablen. a very serious and contagious disease that caused a high fever and bumps on the skin. It was a major cause of death for centuries until it was completely wiped out by vaccines in 1980.
n. an acute, highly infectious viral disease caused by the variola virus, characterized by high fever and a distinctive pustular rash. It is the only human infectious disease to have been eradicated globally through vaccination efforts.
Doctors used vaccines to wipe out smallpox worldwide.
Historical records show that smallpox outbreaks often devastated entire populations before the discovery of the first vaccine.
The successful eradication of smallpox remains the crowning achievement of global public health, demonstrating how coordinated international action can permanently eliminate a biological threat to humanity.
From small + pox, in contrast to greatpox (“syphilis”).
Typically used without an article when referring to the disease itself.