variolous
|va-ri-o-lous|
🇺🇸
/ˈvɛriələs/
🇬🇧
/ˈvɛəriələs/
relating to smallpox
Etymology
'variolous' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'variola', where 'variola' meant 'smallpox' or 'a little pimple', and the English suffix '-ous' (from Latin '-osus') meant 'full of'.
'variolous' was formed in English from Latin 'variola' with the adjectival suffix '-ous' (via Medieval/Neo-Latin medical usage) and entered English medical vocabulary from the 17th to 19th centuries.
Initially, it meant 'pertaining to or characterized by smallpox' and over time has retained that core meaning, now used chiefly in medical or historical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or caused by smallpox (variola); pertaining to the disease smallpox.
The 19th-century medical report used the term variolous to describe patients suffering from smallpox.
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Adjective 2
having or producing pustular or pocklike lesions resembling those of smallpox; pustular.
The rash appeared variolous, with clustered pustules and early scabbing.
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Last updated: 2025/11/27 15:04