Oncologist
/ˌɒŋˈkɒlədʒɪst/noun
A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer.
Did you know?The Greek root onkos meant “bulk,” “mass,” or “swelling,” while the word cancer itself comes from the Latin word for “crab,” inspired by a tumor’s spreading veins.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leg-
“To collect, gather, or select; a root that later developed associations with speaking and reasoning.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
onkos
“Bulk, mass, volume, or swelling.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
logos
“Word, account, explanation, or study; the source of the -logy element.”
19th Century
German
Onkologie
“The medical study of tumors, formed from Greek onkos plus -logia, “study” or “account.””
19th Century
English
oncology
“The branch of medicine concerned with tumors and cancer.”
Modern English
English
oncologist
“A medical specialist who diagnoses and treats cancer, formed from oncology plus -ist.”