varíola
/vaˈɾiw.lɐ/feminine
Smallpox is varíola in Portuguese.
varíola is a noun used to refer to the infectious disease. When referring to the physical pustules or skin marks left by the disease, the plural form varíolas can be used.
Meaning: disease (noun)
Which one should you use?
varíola refers to the disease itself, while the plural form varíolas can specifically refer to the physical pox marks on the skin.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because varíola is a feminine noun, the contraction of the preposition de (of) and the feminine article a (the) results in da varíola.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable. The IPA is /vaˈɾiw.lɐ/.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese medical history, the term vacina (vaccine) actually derives from the Latin 'vacca' for cow, a tribute to the smallpox vaccine's origins in cowpox.
- In older Portuguese literature, the term bexigas was sometimes used colloquially to describe the blisters of varíola because they resembled small bags or bladders.
- The word varíola shares an unexpected linguistic relative with the English word 'variable', as both stem from the Latin root meaning 'to change' or 'to vary'.
Examples in context
- Muitos países fazem preparativos no sentido de melhor se defenderem do antraz ou da varíola.Many countries take measures in order to protect themselves against anthrax or smallpox better.This sentence shows how countries prepare to defend against the disease using the form varíola.Tatoeba #4791443 by anthrax26, translation #4791445 by anthrax26
- O ressurgimento das inoculações contra a varíola nos Estados Unidos traz de volta uma vacina considerada a mais perigosa de todas.The revival of smallpox inoculations in the United States brings back a vaccine considered the most dangerous of all.This sentence discusses the revival of inoculations against varíola.Tatoeba #11305325 by Cangarejo, translation #11305324 by Cangarejo
- Antes da descoberta, pensava-se que o velho faraó egípcio, Ramsés V, constituía o caso mais antigo de varíola, devido àquilo que os cientistas supunham ser marcas de vesículas encontradas nos restos mortais.Before the discovery, it was thought that the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Ramses V, was the earliest example of smallpox because of what scientists assumed were pox marks found on the remains.This sentence describes an ancient historical case involving varíola.Tatoeba #11050377 by Cangarejo, translation #11050374 by Cangarejo
- Na época dos nossos avós, as pessoas ainda contraiam a "bexiga".In our grandparents' time, people still contracted "smallpox".
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a history lesson in a library.
- JulianaA varíola foi uma doença terrível.Smallpox was a terrible disease.
- FelipeSim, a vacina mudou tudo.Yes, the vaccine changed everything.
- JulianaO professor explicou isso hoje.The professor explained that today.
- FelipeEu li sobre isso no livro.I read about it in the book.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smallpox” translations and entries varíola, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries varíola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
