tumor

especially British, tu·mour

[too-mer, tyoo-]

noun

1. a swollen part; swelling; protuberance.

2. an uncontrolled, abnormal, circumscribed growth of cells in any animal or plant tissue; neoplasm.

3. Archaic.

   1. inflated pride; haughtiness.

   2. pompous language; bombast.

tumor

1. See neoplasm See Note at cancer

tumor

1. An abnormal mass of new tissue growth that serves no function in the body. Tumors are usually classified as benign or malignant and are often caused by cancer.

Other Word Forms

• tumorlike adjective
• tumorous adjective
• tumoral adjective
• antitumor adjective
• antitumoral adjective
• nontumorous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tumor¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin: “a swelling, swollen state,” equivalent to tum(ēre) “to swell” + -or noun suffix ( -or ¹ )

Example Sentences

Some tumors remain extremely difficult to treat, and carcinomas are among the most challenging.

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Many cancer therapies work by inflicting deliberate DNA damage on tumor cells, and early drug development often requires precise measurements of how much damage a compound creates.

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The procedure proved safe, with no serious inflammation or tumor growth reported in any of the patients.

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Glioblastoma develops from astrocytes, a type of brain cell, and is the most common malignant brain tumor, affecting about three in every 100,000 people in the U.S.

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These signals help prompt the immune system to attack and clear any surviving tumor cells.

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Related Words

• Cancer 
• carcinoma 
• cyst 
• lump 
• swelling