tumor

swelling; swollen condition

1 / 1

An isolated, non-gory cutaway of soft tissue containing a distinct abnormal mass, with densely crowded, irregular cells contrasting with the orderly surrounding tissue.

noun

tumor

TOO-mer/ˈtumər/

An abnormal mass of tissue caused by uncontrolled cell growth.

Etymology

tumorLatinswelling; swollen condition

Latin tumor named swelling or a swollen condition, and English initially used it for abnormal bodily swelling. The selected medical sense is more specific: a mass produced by uncontrolled cell growth.

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