Variolar

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or characterized by variola, the virus responsible for smallpox
2. indicative of conditions or symptoms associated with smallpox infection
3. pertaining to the use of variola virus in vaccine development or research

Etymology: "Variolar" is a plain formation, and its interest lies in the word it grows from. "Variola" is the Latin name for smallpox, and the adjective "variolar" simply adds the English suffix "-ar" to it, meaning "of or relating to" the disease. The suffix is the same one found in words like "molar" and "vascular," which tie a term to a physical or medical quality. The Latin "variola" is a diminutive form, and it is usually connected with "varius," meaning "spotted" or "variegated," a reference to the pustules that mark the skin of a smallpox sufferer. The disease's visible rash gave it its name, so the word describes the appearance of the illness rather than its cause.

Synonyms: smallpox-related