POX

pox

(noun) a contagious disease characterized by purulent skin eruptions that may leave pock marks

syphilis, syph, pox, lues venerea, lues

(noun) a common venereal disease caused by the treponema pallidum spirochete; symptoms change through progressive stages; can be congenital (transmitted through the placenta)

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

pox (countable and uncountable, plural poxes)

A disease characterized by purulent skin eruptions that may leave pockmarks.

Syphilis.

(figurative) A curse.

Verb

pox (third-person singular simple present poxes, present participle poxing, simple past and past participle poxed)

(transitive, dated) To infect with the pox, or syphilis.

Source: Wiktionary

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Pox, n. Etym: [For pocks, OE. pokkes. See Pock. It is plural in form but is used as a singular.] (Med.)

Definition: Strictly, a disease by pustules or eruptions of any kind, but chiefly or wholly restricted to three or four diseases, -- the smallpox, the chicken pox, and the vaccine and the venereal diseases.

Note: Pox, when used without an epithet, as in imprecations, formerly signified smallpox; but it now signifies syphilis.

Pox, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poxed; p. pr. & vb. n. Poxing.]

Definition: To infect with the pox, or syphilis.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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