pox
Viral skin eruption
Pox refers to diseases that produce skin eruptions or pustules—smallpox, chickenpox, cowpox.
The word often appears as a curse: A pox on both your houses!
In modern usage, pox usually means syphilis when used alone: He caught the pox.
To call something a pox is to label it a blight or scourge: Social media is a pox on civil discourse.
Zoonotic orthopox infection
- syphilisSpirochete-caused venereal infection
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- pustulesPus-filled skin lesions
- lesionsAreas of damaged tissue
rash · scabs · fever · blisters · scarring · infection · symptoms · outbreak
Injection conferring disease resistance
- immunizationProtective medical injection
- immunityProtected from harm
- eradicationTotal elimination of something
- WHOUN health authority
Jenner · vaccine · antibodies · prevention · public health · herd immunity · booster · campaign
Domination through foreign settlement
- conquistadorsSpanish colonial soldiers
- New WorldWestern Hemisphere landmasses
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- 18th centuryYears 1701-1800
Mild expletive
- hellUnderworld of suffering
- curseInvoked harm through words
- oathFormal binding promise
- imprecationSpoken wish for harm
Malevolent incantation
- maledictionVerbal invocation of harm
- baneCause of destruction
- jinxCurse bringing misfortune
- plagueDeadly epidemic disease
scourge · blight · damnation · imprecation · evil eye · misfortune · affliction · torment
monkeypox
Zoonotic orthopox infection
- syphilisSpirochete-caused venereal infection
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- pustulesPus-filled skin lesions
lesions · rash · scabs · fever · blisters · scarring · infection · symptoms · outbreak · epidemic
inoculation
Injection conferring disease resistance
- immunizationProtective medical injection
- immunityProtected from harm
- eradicationTotal elimination of something
Jenner · WHO · vaccine · antibodies · prevention · public health · herd immunity · booster · campaign
colonialism
Domination through foreign settlement
- conquistadorsSpanish colonial soldiers
- New WorldWestern Hemisphere landmasses
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
damn
Mild expletive
hex
Malevolent incantation
- maledictionVerbal invocation of harm
- baneCause of destruction
- jinxCurse bringing misfortune
plague · scourge · blight · damnation · imprecation · evil eye · misfortune · affliction · torment · doom
Illness from harmful microorganisms
strep · tuberculosis · cholera · staph infection · staph
- chicken poxViral illness causing blisters
- chicken pox partyGathering to spread varicella
- a pox onArchaic malediction wishing disease
- pox partiesGatherings to spread illness
- pox partyPlanned disease exposure event
- small poxDeadly pustular viral infection