■ noun
1》 a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.
↘a malignant growth or tumour resulting from such a division of cells.
2》 something evil or destructive that is hard to contain or eradicate: the ~ of racism.
Derivatives
~ous adjective
Origin
OE, from L., 'crab or creeping ulcer', translating Gk karkinos , said to have been applied to tumours because the swollen veins around them resembled the limbs of a crab.