Borrowed from Latin cancer, a calque of Ancient Greek καρκίνος (karkínos, “crab; ulcer; cancer”) (possibly cognate), applied to cancerous tumors because the enlarged veins resembled the legs of a crab.

• (RP) IPA: /ˈkænsə/
• (Australia) IPA: /ˈkæːnsə/
• (America) IPA: /ˈkænsɚ/

cancer

1. (medicine, oncology, disease) A disease in which the cells of a tissue undergo uncontrolled (and often rapid) proliferation.
2. (figuratively) Something damaging that spreads throughout something else.

• (disease) malignancy
• (something which spreads) growth, lichen

• French: cancer
• German: Krebs
• Italian: cancro
• Portuguese: (Brazil) câncer, (Portugal) cancro
• Russian: рак
• Spanish: cáncer

cancer

1. (slang) Extremely unpleasant and annoying.

   Synonyms: cancerous, AIDS

   I used to love this game, but the new meta is straight up cancer.

From Latin cancer, from Ancient Greek καρκίνος.

1. A taxonomic genus within the family Cancridae^{(Please check if this is already defined at target. Replace [[:Template:taxlink]] with [[:Template:taxfmt]] if already defined. Add nomul=1 if not defined.)} – true crabs, distinguished by the presence of a single posterolateral spine (on the edge of the carapace, towards the rear), anterolateral spines with deep fissures (on the carapace edge, towards the front), and a short extension of the carapace forward between the eyes.

From Latin cancer, calque of Ancient Greek Καρκίνος (Karkínos, “crab”).

• (RP) IPA: /ˈkænsə/
• (America) IPA: /ˈkænsɚ/

1. (zodiac constellations) A constellation of the zodiac supposedly shaped like a crab.
   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene iii]:

     And add more coals to Cancer when he burns / With entertaining great Hyperion.

2. (astrology) The zodiac sign for the crab, ruled by the Moon and covering June 22 - July 22 (tropical astrology) or July 16 - August 15 (sidereal astrology).

• Capricornus

• French: Cancer
• German: Krebs
• Italian: Cancro
• Portuguese: Caranguejo (Portugal), Câncer (Brazil)
• Russian: Рак
• Spanish: Cáncer

• French: Cancer
• German: Krebs
• Italian: Cancro
• Portuguese: Caranguejo (Portugal), Câncer (Brazil)
• Russian: Рак

cancer (plural cancers)

1. Someone with a Cancer star sign.

• Cancerian

• French: Cancer
• Portuguese: canceriano
• Russian: рак