1
: an abnormal benign or malignant new growth of tissue that possesses no physiological function and arises from uncontrolled usually rapid cellular proliferation
called also neoplasm
2
: a swollen or distended part
… houses that bulged with the tumors and warts of … ornamental architecture …—
W. A. White
W. A. White
Examples of tumor in a Sentence
the scan showed a small tumor in her abdomen
Recent Examples on the Web
GenX chemicals have been shown in animal studies to damage the liver, kidneys and immune system, as well as liver and pancreatic tumors.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
In a study last month, the team examined colorectal cancer tumors from 200 patients.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
In September, Lauren gave birth to the their daughter, Jrue Tyler, and doctors were able to successfully surgically remove her tumor.
—Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
For example, in 1991, a 22-year-old female college student had fallen while ice skating; a CT scan revealed a tumor in her cerebellum.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2024
Since tumor cells need oxygen to survive, implanting this oxygen-consuming battery near tumors may help starve cancers, and converting battery energy to heat may also help kill tumor cells, Liu says.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Mar. 2024
Some questioned the timeline: Why did Lisa go on a vacation when her husband was having surgery on a brain tumor?
—USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
And while radiation was needed to activate P-selectin in these tumors, the team believes that the mechanism will be useful against many different types of tumors in all different parts of the body.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 22 Mar. 2024
Untreated, the tumor would first blind her, then slowly kill her.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
Aria Bendix, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
In a study last month, the team examined colorectal cancer tumors from 200 patients.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
In September, Lauren gave birth to the their daughter, Jrue Tyler, and doctors were able to successfully surgically remove her tumor.
—Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
For example, in 1991, a 22-year-old female college student had fallen while ice skating; a CT scan revealed a tumor in her cerebellum.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2024
Since tumor cells need oxygen to survive, implanting this oxygen-consuming battery near tumors may help starve cancers, and converting battery energy to heat may also help kill tumor cells, Liu says.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Mar. 2024
Some questioned the timeline: Why did Lisa go on a vacation when her husband was having surgery on a brain tumor?
—USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
And while radiation was needed to activate P-selectin in these tumors, the team believes that the mechanism will be useful against many different types of tumors in all different parts of the body.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 22 Mar. 2024
Untreated, the tumor would first blind her, then slowly kill her.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tumor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tumor
Cite this Entry
“Tumor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumor. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tumor
noun
tu·mor
ˈt(y)ü-mər 
: an abnormal mass of tissue that arises from normal tissue cells and serves no useful purpose in the body
tumorous
adjective
ˈt(y)üm-(ə-)rəs
Medical Definition
tumor
noun
tu·mor
variants
or chiefly British tumour
: an abnormal benign or malignant new growth of tissue that possesses no physiological function and arises from uncontrolled usually rapid cellular proliferation see cancer sense 1, carcinoma, sarcoma
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