Cancerous
/ˈkænsərəs/noun
Relating to or affected by cancer, especially the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.
Did you know?The medical term comes through Latin *cancer* “crab,” likely because some tumors were thought to spread like a crab’s legs or resemble its shape, and the same root gave us the zodiac sign Cancer.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kan-
“A root associated with bending or hooking; the exact ancestral shape behind later crab-words is debated.”
Latin
Latin
cancer
“Crab; later also used for a malignant growth resembling a crab.”
Late Latin
Latin
cancerosus
“Full of cancer; cancer-like.”
Old French
Old French
canceros
“Cancerous, ulcerous.”
Middle English
English
cancerous
“Affected with cancer; resembling cancer.”
Modern English
English
cancerous
“Relating to or characterized by cancer.”