variola Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever and weakness and skin eruption with pustules that form scabs that slough off leaving scars
    smallpox; variola major.

WordNet

Va*ri"o*la noun
Etymology
LL., fr. L. varius various. See Various.
Definitions
  1. (Med.) The smallpox.

Webster 1913