teratoma

noun

ter·​a·​to·​ma ˌter-ə-ˈtō-mə How to pronounce teratoma (audio)
plural teratomas also teratomata ˌter-ə-ˈtō-mə-tə How to pronounce teratoma (audio)
: a tumor made up of a heterogeneous mixture of tissues

Examples of teratoma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But the results include some frightening growths, called teratomas, that are rare among human fetuses: about 1 in 30,000 babies is born with a teratoma. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 26 Jan. 2022 Dermoid Also referred to as a teratoma, this type of cyst can contain a collection of body tissue that may also be found in skin, hair, and even teeth. Grace Gavilanes, Glamour, 2 Jan. 2023 Perhaps the teratoma had prevented her airway from developing. Christopher Hartnick, STAT, 1 Sep. 2022 The baseball-sized teratoma, an uncontrolled growth of skin, muscle, bone, and other tissues, obscured the baby’s neck and jaw line. Christopher Hartnick, STAT, 1 Sep. 2022 But the results include some frightening growths, called teratomas, that are rare among human fetuses: about 1 in 30,000 babies is born with a teratoma. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 26 Jan. 2022 In an advance reported in the New York Times in 1979, Dr. Mintz showed that the cells of a particular kind of tumor, called a teratoma, could be inserted into a normal blastocyst, or early embryo, of a mouse. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2022 While Wan takes wild liberties with medical facts for his film, the director reveals that real-life teratoma cases did inspire the movie, whose story is credited to Wan; his wife, Ingrid Bisu; and Malignant screenwriter Akela Cooper. Clark Collis, EW.com, 15 Sep. 2021 The teratoma was surgically removed and sent for testing. Sarah Lemire, Health.com, 25 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'teratoma.' 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

borrowed from German Teratom, from Greek terat-, téras "sign sent by the gods, portent, marvel, monster" + German -om -oma — more at terato-

Note: Term probably introduced by the German pathologist Rudolf virchow, no later than 1866, when it appears in the article "Ein tiefes auriculares Dermoid des Halses," Archiv für pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für klinische Medicin (Virchows Archiv), Band 53, p. 210.

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teratoma was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near teratoma

Cite this Entry

“Teratoma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teratoma. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

teratoma

noun
ter·​a·​to·​ma ˌter-ə-ˈtō-mə How to pronounce teratoma (audio)
plural teratomas also teratomata -mət-ə How to pronounce teratoma (audio)
: a tumor derived from more than one embryonic layer and made up of a heterogeneous mixture of tissues (as epithelium, bone, cartilage, or muscle)
teratomatous adjective

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