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chemotherapy
[ kee-moh-ther-uh-pee, kem-oh- ]
/ ˌki moʊˈθɛr ə pi, ˌkɛm oʊ- /
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noun Medicine/Medical.
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.
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Compare pharmacotherapy.
OTHER WORDS FROM chemotherapy
che·mo·ther·a·pist, nounWords nearby chemotherapy
chemosynthesis, chemosynthetic bacteria, chemotaxis, chemotaxonomy, chemotherapeutics, chemotherapy, chemotroph, chemotropism, chempaduk, Chemulpo, chemurgy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use chemotherapy in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for chemotherapy
chemotherapy
/ (ˌkiːməʊˈθɛrəpɪ, kiːmə-) /
noun
treatment of disease, esp cancer, by means of chemical agentsCompare radiotherapy
Derived forms of chemotherapy
chemotherapist, nounCollins 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-thĕr′ə-pē ]
The treatment of disease, especially cancer, using drugs that are destructive to malignant cells and tissues.
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.