cancer
UK[ˈkænsə]US[ˈkænsər]
n
a serious disease in which cells in a part of the body grow in an uncontrolled way, often causing death
n
an evil or dangerous thing that spreads quickly and is difficult to stop or destroy
Etymology
the english word 'cancer' is a direct borrowing from latin, where 'cancer' meant "crab" and also the disease. this dual meaning originated in ancient greek, where the physician hippocrates used the term 'karkinos' (crab) to describe tumors, likely due to the swollen veins around a tumor resembling a crab's legs or the disease's tenacious, grasping nature. the latin term was adopted into old english as 'cancer' for the zodiac sign, but the medical sense was reinforced in middle english from medieval latin. the conceptual leap from "crab" to a malignant disease reflects ancient medical observation, where the hard, spreading mass and painful grip of the ailment were metaphorically linked to the crustacean.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword from latin. it is not productively segmented into smaller morphemes in modern english.
Examples
early detection is crucial for successfully treating many forms of cancer.
the corruption was a cancer eating away at the foundations of the institution.
she has devoted her career to fundraising for cancer research.