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carcinogen

[ kahr-sin-uh-juhn, -jen, kahr-suh-nuh-jen, -noh- ]
/ kɑrˈsɪn ə dʒən, -ˌdʒɛn, ˈkɑr sə nəˌdʒɛn, -noʊ- /
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See synonyms for: carcinogen / carcinogenic on Thesaurus.com

noun Pathology.
any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer.
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Origin of carcinogen

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-/, adjectivecar·ci·no·ge·nic·i·ty [kahr-suh-noh-juh-nis-i-tee], /ˌkɑr sə noʊ dʒəˈnɪs ɪ ti/, nounan·ti·car·cin·o·gen, nounan·ti·car·cin·o·gen·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use carcinogen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for carcinogen

carcinogen
/ (kɑːˈsɪnədʒən, ˈkɑːsɪnəˌdʒɛn) /

noun
pathol any substance that produces cancer

Derived forms of carcinogen

carcinogenic, adjectivecarcinogenicity, noun

Word Origin for carcinogen

C20: from Greek karkinos cancer + -gen
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 ]

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.
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