lymphoma

American  

[lim-foh-muh] / lɪmˈfoʊ mə /

noun

Pathology.

plural

lymphomas, lymphomata

1. a tumor arising from any of the cellular elements of lymph nodes.

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lymphoma British  

/ lɪmˈfəʊmə /

noun

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

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lymphoma Scientific  

/ lĭm-fō′mə /

plural

lymphomas

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

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Other Word Forms

• lymphomatoid adjective
• lymphomatous adjective

Etymology

Origin of lymphoma

From New Latin, dating back to 1870–75; 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.

Example Sentences

It has further ongoing and planned trials for the treatment of bladder cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, glioblastoma, sepsis, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and lymphopenia.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Those were Mr. Blankfein’s darkest hours, aside from the advanced non-Hodgkin lymphoma he later managed to survive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Jonas’ lymphoma developed as a side effect of the medication he was taking for Crohn’s disease.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

For example, a Swedish study from a few years ago identified people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and reviewed their past exposure to herbicides and pesticides.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026

Few of us had known that he’d had lymphoma.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman