cancer
noun
\
Definition of cancer
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
4a : an enlarged tumorlike plant growth (such as that of crown gall)
b : a plant disease marked by such growths
Keep scrolling for more
Other words from cancer
ˈkan(t)-sə-
\
adjective
Examples of cancer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His son, Mike, said the cause was pancreatic cancer. — New York Times, "Lindy Remigino, Olympic Champion Runner, Is Dead at 87," 12 July 2018 Taggart has saved his energy for fighting the cancer. — Lori Nickel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Patient takes the fight to cancer with Scenic Shore team raising hundreds of thousands of dollars," 10 July 2018 The cancer disappeared for six months — then returned. — Steve Miletich, The Seattle Times, "‘He’s just a doer’: Meet Seattle police-chief candidate Ely Reyes," 9 July 2018 Tumor was removed but transplant put on hold to make sure cancer does not return. — Matthew Defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Executive let go by new Marlins ownership starts campaign to help with health costs," 9 July 2018 Being of Irish, English origin, skin cancer is a huge concern. — Lindzi Scharf, latimes.com, "The real reason Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman is so passionate about sunscreen," 6 July 2018 The exact treatment plan for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma depends on the type and location of the cancer but may include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation. — Andrea Park, SELF, "After a Second Back Surgery, Abby Lee Miller Shows Off Her Healing Progress on Instagram," 2 July 2018 Johnson & Johnson should ready itself for a flood of new lawsuits after a jury Thursday ordered the company to pay $4.69 billion to 22 women who blamed their ovarian cancer on asbestos in its talc products, legal experts said. — Jef Feeley And Margaret Cronin Fisk, BostonGlobe.com, "Johnson & Johnson’s $4.69 billion talc verdict may open floodgates to more suits," 14 July 2018 Randall said doctors had caught her breast cancer in its early stages. — Tegan Hanlon, Anchorage Daily News, "‘So surreal’: Olympic gold medalist Kikkan Randall announces breast cancer diagnosis, returns to Anchorage for treatment," 12 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cancer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for cancer
cancer
noun
English Language Learners Definition of cancer
: a serious disease caused by cells that are not normal and that can spread to one or many parts of the body
: something bad or dangerous that causes other bad things to happen
Cancer : the fourth sign of the zodiac that comes between Gemini and Leo and has a crab as its symbol
See the full definition for cancer in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cancer
noun
\
Kids Definition of cancer
: a serious sometimes deadly disease characterized by the growth of abnormal cells that form tumors which may damage or destroy normal body tissue
cancer
noun
\
Medical Definition of cancer
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
Other words from cancer
\
adjective
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on cancer
What made you want to look up cancer? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Musical Words Quiz
-
- Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share cancer
Resources for cancer