glioblastoma

noun

glio·​blas·​to·​ma ˌglī-ō-ˌbla-ˈstō-mə 

variants or less commonly glioblastoma multiforme

-ˌməlt-ə-ˈfȯrm-ē 

plural glioblastomas also glioblastomata ˌglī-ō-ˌbla-ˈstō-mə-tə  or glioblastomas multiforme or glioblastoma multiformes

: a malignant rapidly growing astrocytoma of the central nervous system and usually of a cerebral hemisphere

Examples of glioblastoma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This can help enable fast-growing tumors like glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer that resists treatment and almost always comes back. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 17 Nov. 2025

Mary Cybulski, a veteran script supervisor who worked on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi and The Ice Storm and many other films and also served as a set photographer for several top directors, died November 8 of glioblastoma multiforme. —Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025

Cybulski died Saturday after living for four years with glioblastoma multiforme, a brain tumor, a publicist announced. —Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025

Ojeh died in May, after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. —Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from glia glia + blast- + -oma

First Known Use

circa 1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for glioblastoma

• ambystoma
• atheroma
• carcinoma
• coloboma
• granuloma
• haematoma
• hamartoma
• hemangioma
• hematoma
• hepatoma
• hybridoma
• melanoma

Medical Definition

glioblastoma

noun

glio·​blas·​to·​ma ˌglī-(ˌ)ō-bla-ˈstō-mə 

plural glioblastomas also glioblastomata -mət-ə 

: a malignant rapidly growing astrocytoma of the central nervous system and usually of a cerebral hemisphere

Glioblastoma is the worst grade of malignant glioma, a relatively uncommon but deadly class of brain tumors that kills 97% of those diagnosed within 5 years.

—Greg Miller, Science

called also glioblastoma multiforme