What does "cancer" mean?
A disease in which the cells of a tissue undergo uncontrolled (and often rapid) proliferation.
Cancer
/ˈkænsə/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A disease in which the cells of a tissue undergo uncontrolled (and often rapid) proliferation.
- Grammar: cancer is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: benign tumor, big dipper, blast, blight.
- Useful contrasts: Capricornus, capricorn, benign tumor.
- Usage evidence: Tiny particles in the air can cause cancer.
How to use "cancer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cancer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cancer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cancer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cancer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cancer" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "benign tumor" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cancer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A disease in which the cells of a tissue undergo uncontrolled (and often rapid) proliferation. countable, uncountable
"If successful, Edison and Ford—in 1914—would move society away from the[…]hazards of gasoline cars: air and water pollution, noise and noxiousness, constant coughing and the undeniable rise in cancers caused by smoke exhaust particulates."
- 2 Someone with a Cancer star sign.
"‘All right, so what are Cancers apart from sad, then?’ Lizzie asked."
- 3 (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Cancer wordnet
- 4 Something damaging that spreads throughout something else. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"The disease of the self runs through my blood; It's a cancer fatal to my soul."
- 5 any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Extremely unpleasant and annoying. slang
"I used to love this game, but the new meta is straight up cancer."
Proper Noun
- 1 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."
- 2 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).
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Tiny particles in the air can cause cancer."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cancer"?
Common synonyms include: benign tumor, big dipper, blast, blight, callosity, callus.
How do you use "cancer" in a sentence?
Tiny particles in the air can cause cancer.
How do you pronounce "cancer"?
Pronounced /ˈkænsə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin cancer (“crab”), a calque of Ancient Greek καρκίνος (karkínos, “crab; ulcer; cancer”) (possibly cognate), applied to cancerous tumors because the enlarged veins resembled the legs of a crab. Doublet of canker and chancre.
Etymology 2
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”).