chemo

¹

[kee-moh, kem-oh]

noun

Informal.

plural

chemos 

1. chemotherapy or a chemotherapy treatment.

chemo-

²

1. a combining form with the meanings “chemical,” “chemically induced,” “chemistry,” used in the formation of compound words.

   chemotherapy.

chemo

¹

/ ˈkiːməʊ /

noun

1. informal,  short for chemotherapy

chemo-

²

combining form

1. indicating that chemicals or chemical reactions are involved

   chemotherapy

Word History and Origins

Origin of chemo¹

By shortening; -o

Origin of chemo²

chem-, extracted from chemical or chemistry + -o- or -i-

Word History and Origins

Origin of chemo¹

New Latin, from Late Greek khēmeia; see _alchemy

Example Sentences

Mr Jones was told he would need to stay on his tablets to stay alive, and when he questioned the treatment, he said the reply was: "Do you want to die? If you don't carry on taking the chemo, you'll die."

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Ziegler had chemotherapy in his own home, using what's known as a chemo pump.

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"I also think at hospitals there is always at risk of getting infections. The chemo has the effect of reducing my immune system to a very low level so I am vulnerable to infections."

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There haven't yet been any major studies and so hard data is limited, but it's thought by some that at-home chemo could potentially boost survival chances by lowering the risk of a patient catching an infection while in hospital.

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She told the inquiry: "The medication had horrible side-effects. I thought chemo was bad, but this was something else," she said.

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