Dictionary.com

tumor

[ too-mer, tyoo- ]
/ ˈtu mər, ˈtyu- /
Save This Word!

noun
a swollen part; swelling; protuberance.
an uncontrolled, abnormal, circumscribed growth of cells in any animal or plant tissue; neoplasm.
Archaic.
  1. inflated pride; haughtiness.
  2. pompous language; bombast.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Also especially British, tuĀ·mour .

Origin of tumor

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin: ā€œa swelling, swollen state,ā€ equivalent to tum(ēre) ā€œto swellā€ + -or noun suffix (see -or1)

OTHER WORDS FROM tumor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tumor in a sentence

Scientific definitions for tumor

tumor
[ tÅÅā€²mər ]

See neoplasm. See Note at cancer.
The American HeritageĀ® Science Dictionary Copyright Ā© 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for tumor

tumor

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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright Ā© 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK