sarcoma

noun

sar·​co·​ma sär-ˈkō-mə How to pronounce sarcoma (audio)
plural sarcomas also sarcomata sär-ˈkō-mə-tə How to pronounce sarcoma (audio)
: a malignant tumor arising in tissue (such as connective tissue, bone, cartilage, or striated muscle) of mesodermal origin see also ewing's sarcoma, kaposi's sarcoma, osteosarcoma, rous sarcoma
sarcomatous adjective
sarcomatous tumors

Examples of sarcoma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cuddihy was 15 years old when she was diagnosed with metastatic Ewing sarcoma in January 2018, the outlet reported. Becca Longmire, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Caroline Klein, chief communications officer for Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the Utah Jazz, posted a poignant final message Friday following her multiyear battle with stage 4 proximal-type epithelioid sarcoma. Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025 Biscotto, Rinnert’s partner in the 1970s and ’80s, was diagnosed with Kaposi’s sarcoma in 1982, at the start of a mysterious and growing health crisis largely affecting the gay community. Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025 So far, it is being used in breast reconstruction, sarcoma, and head and neck cancer surgeries, but doctors see vast potential for its role in other complex procedures where both accuracy and preservation of function are critical. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sarcoma

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin sarcōmat-, sarcōma "fleshy excrescence, tumor," borrowed from Greek sárkōma "fleshy excrescence," from sarkō-, stem of sarkoûn "to make fleshy, (middle voice) to become fleshy" (verbal derivative of sark-, sárx "flesh, piece of meat") + -ma, resultative noun suffix — more at sarco-

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sarcoma was in 1804

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Cite this Entry

“Sarcoma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcoma. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

sarcoma

noun
sar·​co·​ma sär-ˈkō-mə How to pronounce sarcoma (audio)
plural sarcomas also sarcomata -mət-ə How to pronounce sarcoma (audio)
: a malignant tumor arising in tissue of mesodermal origin (as connective tissue, bone, cartilage, or striated muscle) that spreads by extension into neighboring tissue or by way of the bloodstream see also ewing's sarcoma, kaposi's sarcoma, osteosarcoma, rous sarcoma, spindle-cell sarcoma compare carcinoma

More from Merriam-Webster on sarcoma

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