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metastasize

[ muh-tas-tuh-sahyz ]
/ məˈtæs təˌsaɪz /
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See synonyms for: metastasize / metastasized / metastasizes / metastasizing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), me·tas·ta·sized, me·tas·ta·siz·ing.
Pathology. (of malignant cells or disease-producing organisms) to spread to other parts of the body by way of the blood or lymphatic vessels or membranous surfaces.
to spread injuriously: Street gangs have metastasized in our city.
to transform, especially into a dangerous form: The KGB metastasized after the fall of the Soviet Union. Truth metastasized into lurid fantasy.
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Also especially British, me·tas·ta·sise .

Origin of metastasize

First recorded in 1905–10; metastas(is) + -ize
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use metastasize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for metastasize

metastasize

metastasise

/ (mɪˈtæstəˌsaɪz) /

verb (intr)
pathol (esp of cancer cells) to spread to a new site in the body via blood or lymph vessels
(of a problem) to deteriorate or spread into new areas
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
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