cancer
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cancer¹
- /ˈkænsə/ UK
- /ˈkæːnsə/ Australia
- /ˈkænsɚ/ US
Rhymes with -ænsə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin cancer (“crab”), a calque of Ancient Greek καρκίνος (karkínos, “crab; ulcer; cancer”), possibly cognate, applied to cancerous tumors because of a supposed resemblence between their enlarged veins and the legs of a crab. Doublet of canker and chancre.
noun cancers
-
A disease in which the cells of a tissue undergo uncontrolled (often rapid) proliferation.
She's ill. She's dying. She has cancer of the pancreas, stomach, just about everywhere... She's been dying for about six years now. We're getting used to it.
Similar: malignancy
- Something damaging that spreads throughout something else. I began by telling the President that there was a cancer growing on the Presidency, and if the cancer was not removed, the President himself would be killed by it.
Cancer²
- /ˈkænsə/ UK
- /ˈkænsɚ/ US
Rhymes with -ænsə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
Learned borrowing from Latin cancer (“crab”), calque of Ancient Greek Καρκίνος (Karkínos, “crab”), calque of Akkadian 𒀀𒇻𒌅 (allutu, “crab”), from Sumerian 𒀯𒀠𒈜 (ᵐᵘˡAL.LUL, “crab; name of constellation”).
proper noun ♋︎
-
A constellation of the zodiac traditionally figured in the shape of a crab.
And add more coals to Cancer when he burns / With entertaining great Hyperion.
Similar: Crab
- The zodiac sign for the crab, ruled by the Moon and covering June 22–July 22 (tropical astrology) or July 16–August 15 (sidereal astrology).
Similar: Cancer, Crab · Opposite: Capricornus
noun Cancers
-
Someone with a Cancer star sign.
‘All right, so what are Cancers apart from sad, then?’ Lizzie asked.
Similar: Cancerian
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: genus cancer, tumour, tumor, malignancy, oncology, carcinoma, carcinogenicity, carcinogen, lymphatic, anticancer, circulatory, disease, womb, uterus, canker, genetics
proper noun
Similar: Cancer, Crab · Opposite: Capricornus
Translations
Every language
noun disease of uncontrolled cellular proliferation
| Español | cáncer, cangro, cancro |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 암 am |
| 日本語 | 癌 gan |
| 中文 | 癌症 áizhèng |
| हिन्दी | कर्कट karkaṭ, कैंसर kainsar, कर्कट रोग karkaṭ rog |
| Kiswahili | saratani, kansa |
| Português | câncer, cancro |
| Français | cancer |
| Deutsch | Krebs |
| Italiano | cancro |
| Ελληνικά | καρκίνος karkínos |
| Română | cancer |
| Русский | рак rak, злока́чественная о́пухоль zlokáčestvennaja ópuxolʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | ung thư |
| العربية | سَرَطَان saraṭān |
| עברית | סַרְטָן sartán |
name constellation
| Español | Cáncer |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 게자리 Gejari |
| 日本語 | 蟹座 Kaniza, かに座 Kaniza |
| 中文 | 巨蟹座 Jùxièzuò |
| हिन्दी | कर्क तारामंडल kark tārāmaṇḍal |
| Português | Caranguejo, Câncer |
| Français | Cancer |
| Deutsch | Krebs |
| Italiano | Cancro |
| Ελληνικά | Καρκίνος Karkínos |
| Română | (Constelația) Cancerului, Racului (def.form) |
| Русский | Рак |
| Tiếng Việt | Cự Giải, Bắc Giải |
| العربية | بُرْج اَلسَّرَطَان burj as-saraṭān, اَلسَّرَطَان as-saraṭān |
| עברית | סַרְטַן sartán |
name astrological sign
| 한국어 | 거해궁 Geohaegung |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 巨蟹宮 Kyokaikyū |
| 中文 | 巨蟹座 Jùxièzuò |
| हिन्दी | कर्क kark, कर्कट karkaṭ, केकड़ा kekṛā |
| Kiswahili | Saratani, Kaa |
| Português | Caranguejo, Câncer |
| Français | Cancer |
| Deutsch | Krebs |
| Italiano | Cancro |
| Ελληνικά | Καρκίνος Karkínos |
| Română | Rac |
| Русский | Рак |
| Tiếng Việt | Cự Giải, Bắc Giải |
| العربية | بُرْج اَلسَّرَطَان burj as-saraṭān, اَلسَّرَطَان as-saraṭān |
| עברית | סַרְטַן sartán |
noun Someone with a Cancer star sign
| Português | canceriano |
|---|---|
| Français | Cancer |
| Ελληνικά | καρκίνος karkínos |
| Română | rac |
| Русский | рак rak |
Talk about this word "cancer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cancer. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. cancer. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cancer "cancer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cancer.Cite this
@misc{cancer_2026,
title = {cancer},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cancer},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
