n.
Pronunciation: ' smo ̇ l- ˌ päks
Function: noun
Date: 1518
: 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