cancer

noun

can·​cer ˈkan(t)-sər How to pronounce cancer (audio)
Synonyms of cancernext
1
capitalized
a
: a northern zodiacal constellation between Gemini and Leo
b(1)
: the fourth sign of the zodiac in astrology see Signs of the Zodiac Table
(2)
: one born under the sign of Cancer
I'm a Taurus, but my best friend is a Cancer.
2
[Latin, crab, cancer]
a
: a malignant tumor of potentially unlimited growth that expands locally by invasion and systemically by metastasis
b
: an abnormal bodily state marked by such tumors
3
: something evil or malignant that spreads destructively
the cancer of hidden resentment—Irish Digest
4
a
: an enlarged tumorlike plant growth (such as that of crown gall)
b
: a plant disease marked by such growths
cancerous
ˈkan(t)s-rəs How to pronounce cancer (audio)
ˈkan(t)-sə-
adjective
cancerously adverb

Did you know?

The Latin word cancer, meaning “crab,” was also given as a name to several diseases. One of the diseases was the abnormal, spreading mass of tissue we call a tumor. A possible explanation for this extended use of cancer is that the Romans thought some tumors looked like many-legged crabs. A French descendant of this Latin word was borrowed into English as canker. It is now applied to several plant and animal disorders. In the 14th century the Latin word cancer in the sense of “tumor” was borrowed directly into English, giving us our modern spelling and sense.

Examples of cancer in a Sentence

He was diagnosed with cancer. She learned that she has cancer. Eating certain foods may help reduce the risk of cancer. Advanced cancers are more difficult to treat. I'm a Taurus, but my best friend is a Cancer.
Recent Examples on the Web Those are covered for patients with breast cancer, but they were not covered by the health insurance plans for transgender patients. —Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 29 Apr. 2024 Christopher competed on Survivor just three years after battling invasive breast cancer. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 27 Apr. 2024 The sovereign made his first major public appearance since his cancer revelation at Easter. —Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024 On a deeper, more heartfelt level, Nadeau’s design was a way of honoring her cat Firefly, who had recently passed away after battling cancer. —Lou Ponsi, Orange County Register, 26 Apr. 2024 Subsequent diagnostic tests identified a form of cancer. —Lucia Suarez Sang, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024 Buckingham Palace has shared a rare update on how King Charles is doing after his cancer diagnosis. —Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2024 On March 22, the Princess announced she also had been diagnosed with cancer after post-surgery test results revealed cancer had been present. —Mallory Moench, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024 Griffin's mother died in 2020, and in 2021 the comedian revealed she was diagnosed with lung cancer (despite never smoking). —David Wysong, The Enquirer, 25 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cancer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin (genitive Cancri), literally, crab; akin to Greek karkinos crab, cancer

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cancer was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing cancer

Dictionary Entries Near cancer

cancel out

cancer

Cancerian

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Cancer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cancer. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

cancer

noun
can·​cer ˈkan(t)-sər How to pronounce cancer (audio)
1
capitalized : a group of stars between Gemini and Leo usually pictured as a crab
2
capitalized
a
: the fourth sign of the zodiac see zodiac
b
: a person whose sign of the zodiac is Cancer
3
: a tumor that tends to spread locally and to other parts of the body and often causes death if not treated
also : an abnormal state marked by such tumors
4
: a dangerous evil that destroys slowly
cancerous
ˈkan(t)s-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce cancer (audio)
adjective
Etymology

Middle English Cancer "'Crab' star group," from Latin cancer "crab, cancer (disease)"; sense 3 directly from Latin cancer "crab, cancer" — related to canker, chancre

Word Origin
The Latin word cancer, meaning "crab," was also given as a name to several diseases. One of the diseases was the abnormal, spreading mass of tissue we call a tumor. A possible explanation for this extended use of cancer is that the Romans thought some tumors looked like many-legged crabs. A French descendant of this Latin word was borrowed into English as canker. It is now applied to several plant and animal disorders. In the 14th century the Latin word cancer in the sense of "tumor" was borrowed directly into English, giving us our modern spelling and sense.

Medical Definition

cancer

noun
can·​cer ˈkan(t)-sər How to pronounce cancer (audio)
1
: a malignant tumor of potentially unlimited growth that expands locally by invasion and systemically by metastasis
2
: an abnormal state marked by a cancer
cancerous
ˈkan(t)s-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce cancer (audio)
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

What’s the difference between ‘hillbilly’ and ‘redneck’?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

12 Star Wars Words

The Words of the Week - May 3

9 Superb Owl Words

10 Words for Lesser-Known Games and Sports

Your Favorite Band is in the Dictionary
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
winning words from the national spelling bee logo
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...