variole

smallpox

noun vah-ree-OL Rare

Origin: Medieval Latin variola, from varius, spotted

Usage Note

Variole is the French term for smallpox, declared eradicated by the WHO in 1980. The word gave English 'variola', the scientific name for the virus. The related word varicelle means chickenpox — a common learner confusion.

Examples

"La variole a été éradiquée dans les années 1980."

Natural Translation

Smallpox was eradicated in the 1980s.

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