pock n.

"papal edict, highest authoritative document issued by or in the name of a pope," c. 1300, from Medieval Latin bulla "sealed document" (source of Old French bulle, Italian bulla), originally the word for the seal itself, from Latin bulla "round swelling, knob," said ultimately to be from Gaulish, from PIE *beu-, a root supposed to have formed a large group of words meaning "much, great, many," also words associated with swelling, bumps, and blisters (source also of Lithuanian bulė "buttocks," Middle Dutch puyl "bag," also possibly Latin bucca "cheek").

"disease characterized by eruptive sores," late 15c., spelling alteration of pockes (late 13c. in this sense), plural of pocke "pustule" (see pock (n.)). Especially (after c. 1500) of syphilis.

also pockmark, "scar or pit left by a pustule," especially from smallpox, 1670s, from pock (n.) + mark (n.). As a verb from 1756. Related: Pockmarked; pock-marked "pitted or marked with smallpox or pits resembling those left by it (1756); earlier was pokbrokyn (mid-15c.).