carcino-

American  

1. a combining form meaning “cancer,” used in the formation of compound words.

   carcinogen.

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Usage

What does carcino- mean? Carcino- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “cancer.” It is used in medical terms, especially in pathology.Carcino- comes from the Greek karkínos, meaning “crab” and “ulcerous sore.” Crab? It’s supposed that ancient Greek doctors thought hard, cancerous tumors resembled hard-shelled crabs that gripped the body. Related to the Greek karkínos is cancer, directly from the Latin cancer, which literally means “crab.” Learn more at our entry for cancer.What are variants of carcino-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, carcino- becomes carcin-, as in carcinoid.

Etymology

Origin of carcino-

< Greek, combining form representing karkínos crab, ulcerous sore; cancer