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Glite Dictionary
variolization

variolization

9.9
An old medical practice that puts smallpox material into a healthy person to make them immune
  • noun
  • /ˌvɛəriəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : variolización
  • The process of variolization often carried significant risks, including the spread of the disease.

Examples

  • Historical records describe how variolization helped reduce smallpox mortality rates in some countries.

  • Inoculation through variolization was an early effort to combat serious outbreaks of smallpox.

  • Variolization was widely practiced before the development of modern smallpox vaccines.

  • The practice of variolization was once common in Europe.

  • Did you know that variolization helped eradicate smallpox?

  • Variolization was a common practice used to provide immunity against smallpox in earlier centuries.

  • Many people feared the risks associated with variolization, despite its potential benefits in preventing smallpox.

Synonyms

variolation
vsvariolization
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To give a person a small amount of smallpox on purpose to make them immune

is the same medical practice but given in an alternate form or spelling

How Protective

vaccination
76 3.0
inoculation
  • Specialized
15 4.0
variolization
  • Archaic
9.9
exposure
295 3.5

Surface Forms

variolization singular
variolizations plural

Morphology

variolization = variolize (opaque) = variola + ize + ation

Formation from the verb 'variolize' + '-ation' is regular, but the verb and root are specialized medical terms that many learners will not know.

Etymology

The word variolization comes from the Latin variola 'smallpox'. It refers to an old medical practice of putting a little of the disease into a person to give them protection, a method used before modern vaccines.