chemotherapy

[ kee-moh-ther-uh-pee, kem-oh- ]
See synonyms for chemotherapy on Thesaurus.com
nounMedicine/Medical.
  1. the treatment of disease by means of chemicals that have a specific toxic effect upon the disease-producing microorganisms or that selectively destroy cancerous tissue.

Origin of chemotherapy

1
First recorded in 1905–10; chemo- + therapy

Other words from chemotherapy

  • che·mo·ther·a·pist, noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for chemotherapy

chemotherapy

/ (ˌkiːməʊˈθɛrəpɪ, kiːmə-) /


noun
  1. treatment of disease, esp cancer, by means of chemical agents: Compare radiotherapy

Derived forms of chemotherapy

  • chemotherapist, 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 chemotherapy

chemotherapy

[ kē′mō-thĕrə-pē ]


  1. The treatment of disease, especially cancer, using drugs that are destructive to malignant cells and tissues.

  2. The treatment of disease using chemical agents or drugs that are selectively toxic to the causative agent of the disease, such as a microorganism.

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

Cultural definitions for chemotherapy

chemotherapy

[ (kee-moh-ther-uh-pee) ]


The treatment of disease with chemicals. The term chemotherapy often refers to a kind of treatment for cancer in which chemicals are administered to destroy cancer cells.

Notes for chemotherapy

There are often side effects to chemotherapy, a common one being the temporary loss of hair.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.