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lymphoma

American  
[lim-foh-muh] / lɪmˈfoʊ mə /

noun

Pathology.
  • lymphomas,
    plural
  • lymphomata
    plural
  1. a tumor arising from any of the cellular elements of lymph nodes.


lymphoma British  
/ lɪmˈfəʊmə /

noun

  1. Also called: lymphosarcoma. any form of cancer of the lymph nodes

"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

lymphoma Scientific  
/ lĭm-fō′mə /
  • lymphomas
    plural
  1. Any of various usually malignant tumors that arise in the lymph nodes or other lymphatic tissues, often manifested by painless enlargement of one or more lymph nodes.

  2. See also Hodgkin's disease


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


Etymology

Origin of lymphoma

From New Latin, dating back to 1870–75; see origin at lymph-, -oma


Explanation

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects blood and lymph nodes. Lymphoma makes it hard for the body to fight off infection. The term lymphoma adds the medical suffix -oma, "morbid growth or tumor," to lymph, from its Latin root lympha, "water" or "goddess of water." Lymph is the colorless, water-like fluid in our bodies that contains white blood cells, and the lymphatic system is the part of our immune system that carries lymph toward the heart.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

But the 56-year-old project manager said his own experience with a different type of lymphoma may have also helped.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

In mice, twice-daily treatment with the experimental compound caused aggressive lymphoma tumors to disappear within 11 days.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

In 2025, during a clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy, a technique currently used to treat some types of leukaemia and lymphoma, Maya developed a brain injury which Dellanie said left her "profoundly disabled".

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

No cause of death was provided, but the outlet reported that Dasafo had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 before going into remission later that year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

“But she also has lymphoma, and it’s very serious.”

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata

This approach – known as CAR-T or chimeric antigen receptor T-cells – is already an approved treatment in blood cancers including some leukaemias and lymphomas.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma develops in B-lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system and account for the majority of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, according to the American Cancer Society.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2024

Each year, about 100,000 patients worldwide are affected by T-cell leukemias and lymphomas.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 2, 2024

CAR-T therapy was first developed more than a decade ago to treat certain leukemias and lymphomas.

From Science Magazine ● Sep. 15, 2022

The F.D.A. said it was aware of fewer than 20 cases of carcinoma, and fewer than 30 cases of unexpected lymphomas, in the capsule around the breast implant.

From New York Times ● Sep. 8, 2022

This group has been still further extended by the addition of the lymphomata occurring in typhoid fever, scarlet fever, and diphtheria.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

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