Thymoma
/ˈθaɪˌmoʊmə/noun
A tumor of the thymus gland.
Did you know?The word is built from Greek *thymos* (“thymus gland”) plus the tumor suffix *-oma*, a medical ending that literally means “mass” or “swelling.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
θύμος (thýmos)
“Thymus gland; also a different word for “spirit” or “anger,” but the medical term is the gland name.”
Late Greek / Medical Greek
Greek
-ωμα (-ōma)
“A swelling, mass, or tumor.”
19th Century
French/Latinized Medical English
thymome
“A tumor of the thymus gland in medical terminology.”
Modern English
English
thymoma
“The standard medical term for a thymus gland tumor.”