carcinogen

[ kahr-sin-uh-juhn, -jen, kahr-suh-nuh-jen, -noh- ]
See synonyms for carcinogen on Thesaurus.com
nounPathology.
  1. any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer.

Origin of carcinogen

1
First recorded in 1935–40; carcino- + -gen

Other words from carcinogen

  • car·cin·o·gen·ic [kahr-suh-nuh-jen-ik, -noh-], /ˌkɑr sə nəˈdʒɛn ɪk, -noʊ-/, adjective
  • car·ci·no·ge·nic·i·ty [kahr-suh-noh-juh-nis-i-tee], /ˌkɑr sə noʊ dʒəˈnɪs ɪ ti/, noun
  • an·ti·car·cin·o·gen, noun
  • an·ti·car·cin·o·gen·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for carcinogen

carcinogen

/ (kɑːˈsɪnədʒən, ˈkɑːsɪnəˌdʒɛn) /


noun
  1. pathol any substance that produces cancer

Origin of carcinogen

1
C20: from Greek karkinos cancer + -gen

Derived forms of carcinogen

  • carcinogenic, adjective
  • carcinogenicity, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for carcinogen

carcinogen

[ kär-sĭnə-jən ]


  1. A substance or agent that can cause cells to become cancerous by altering their genetic structure so that they multiply continuously and become malignant. Asbestos, DDT, and tobacco smoke are examples of carcinogens.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.