pox

1 of 2

noun

plural pox or poxes
1
a
: a virus disease (such as chicken pox) characterized by pustules or eruptions
b
archaic : smallpox
c
2
: a disastrous evil : plague, curse
a pox on him
poxy adjective

pox

2 of 2

verb

poxed; poxing; poxes

transitive verb

archaic
: to infect with a pox and especially with syphilis

Examples of pox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Many of these voters may simply be casting a pox on both the Justice Department and the defendant. Noah Rothman, National Review, 20 Dec. 2023 Rodgers, Griffith, and others last week asked that one of Fauci’s deputies, a longtime pox researcher, sit for an interview on controversial pathogen research. Sarah Owermohle, STAT, 7 June 2023 After five to seven days, all the pox will be dry scabs, which means the child is no longer contagious. Parents Editors, Parents, 3 Sep. 2023 Symptoms of monkeypox infection include fever, muscle pain and a rash or pox-like blisters. Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 28 July 2022 Brazen tanking has been a pox on the NBA over the last decade, to the point where the league changed the playoff format and the draft lottery rules to disincentivize it. Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 17 May 2023 Republicans were supposed to win big in the midterm elections, but voters declared a pox on both parties and kept the win small. Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 1 Mar. 2023 Liquid from a pox on one child would be transferred into the arm of another, resulting in a pox whose contents could be transferred to another, and so on. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2022 Four decades on, the World Health Organization and major governments, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have said ring vaccination is the preferred strategy for controlling the new pox epidemic: monkeypox. Wired, 26 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pox.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of pocks, plural of pock

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pox was circa 1530

Dictionary Entries Near pox

Cite this Entry

“Pox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pox. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pox

noun
ˈpäks
: a disease (as chicken pox) that is caused by a virus and produces a rash on the skin

Medical Definition

pox

noun
plural pox or poxes
1
: a virus disease (as chicken pox) characterized by pustules or eruptions
2
archaic : smallpox
3

More from Merriam-Webster on pox

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!