variolate
/ˈvɛriəleɪt/
verb
- To inoculate someone with the smallpox virus (variola) to produce a mild infection and build immunity.
- Before modern vaccines, doctors would variolate patients using material from smallpox sores.
- In the 1700s, variolating was risky but often saved lives during outbreaks.
- Lady Mary Wortley Montagu introduced the practice of variolating to England from Turkey.
Synonyms