What does pox mean?
Pox is an old word for an infectious disease marked by pustules, sores, or skin eruptions. Before vaccination and modern medicine, pox could refer to smallpox and other alarming diseases that spread rapidly through communities. The literal medical meaning is now largely historical, though it survives in compounds such as smallpox and chickenpox. More commonly today, pox is used figuratively for an unwelcome or damaging situation: a “pox of bad weather” or a “pox on the business” suggests widespread trouble. The word carries a strongly negative and somewhat dramatic tone. It is especially effective when the speaker wants to portray a problem as pervasive, persistent, or ruinous. In ordinary contemporary use, “plague” may sound more familiar, but “pox” retains an old-fashioned vividness and can evoke disease, disaster, and social hardship.
nounAn infectious disease, especially one characterized by pustules or sores; historically, the term was often used for smallpox and other serious eruptive diseases. In modern figurative use, it means an unfortunate or troublesome situation.
- An infectious disease, especially one marked by pustules or sores; historically, a common name for smallpox and other serious eruptive diseases.
- An unfortunate, troublesome, or ruinous situation, especially one affecting a community or an individual.
"The village was still ravaged by pox when the physician finally arrived."
"The doctor was called away when a child fell ill with pox."
"The company was nearly ruined by a pox of cancellations."
The usual plural is poxes, though the word is encountered in singular form far more often in modern figurative use.
"The doctor had treated several cases of pox before the outbreak ended."
Before vaccination, “pox” could mean a feared epidemic that disfigured or killed entire communities, making the word a vivid reminder of how ordinary life once turned suddenly dangerous.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pox come from?
The word descends from Old English pocc, meaning a pustule or sore, through Middle English forms referring to pocks or eruptive diseases. Modern pox developed in the context of names such as smallpox, where the older word became associated with the disease as a whole. The related English words pock, smallpox, and chickenpox preserve the same basic root.
Related word forms
How pox is actually used
The literal medical sense is now chiefly historical or literary, although it remains common in the names smallpox and chickenpox. The figurative sense, meaning a bad situation or widespread problem, is informal and often slightly dramatic.
Easily confused with pox
Pox is the older, general term for a disease marked by pustules, while smallpox specifically denotes the viral disease caused by variola virus.