pox
nounverbattested in dialogue
- United States//pɑks//
A disease characterized by skin eruptions (especially purulent ones) that may leave pockmarks.
noun
- 1
A disease characterized by skin eruptions (especially purulent ones) that may leave pockmarks.
- 2
A disease characterized by skin eruptions (especially purulent ones) that may leave pockmarks. Syphilis.
- 3
figurativeA curse.
a pox on all their houses
A pox on him, he's a cat still.
Etymology
From the plural of Middle English pocke. See also pock. The curse sense involves metonymy: wishing a literal pox upon someone is the original form of pox-relevant curse, and the word pox itself also came to mean curse.
verb
- 1
datedTo infect with the pox, or syphilis.
Jack had a moſt ſcandalous tongue, and perſuaded Peg that all mankind, beſides himſelf, were pox'd by that ſcarlet-faced whore, †Signiora Bubonia. “As for his brother Lord Peter, the tokens were evident on him, blotches, ſcabs, and the corona. […]”
Forms
- plural
- poxes
- past tense
- poxed
- past participle
- poxed
- present participle
- poxing
- third person singular
- poxes
pox · A disease characterized by skin eruptions (especially purulent ones) that may leave pockmarks.
PR · A PR interval.practical · Relating to, or based on, practice or action rather than…practically · In practice; in effect or in actuality, though possibly not…