car·ci·no·ma

[kahr-suh-noh-muh]
noun, plural car·ci·no·mas, car·ci·no·ma·ta [kahr-suh-noh-muh-tuh] . Pathology.
a malignant and invasive epithelial tumor that spreads by metastasis and often recurs after excision; cancer.
Origin:
1715–25; < Latin: ulcer, tumor < Greek karkínōma; see carcino-, -oma

Related forms
car·ci·no·ma·toid, adjective
car·ci·no·ma·tous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
carcinoma (ˌkɑːsɪˈnəʊmə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , pl -mas, -mata
1.  any malignant tumour derived from epithelial tissue
2.  another name for cancer
 
[C18: from Latin, from Greek karkinōma, from karkinoscancer]
 
carci'nomatoid
 
—adj
 
carci'nomatous
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Carcinoma is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

carcinoma
1721, "malignant tumor," from L. carcinoma, from Gk. karkinoma "a cancer," from karkinos "crab" (see cancer) + -oma.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

carcinoma car·ci·no·ma (kär'sə-nō'mə)
n. pl. car·ci·no·mas or car·ci·no·ma·ta (-mə-tə)

Abbr. CA An invasive malignant tumor derived from epithelial tissue that tends to metastasize to other areas of the body.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
carcinoma   (kär'sə-nō'mə)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural carcinomas or carcinomata (kär'sə-nō'mə-tə)
Any of various cancerous tumors that are derived from epithelial tissue of the skin, blood vessels, or other organs and that tend to metastasize to other parts of the body. See also cell carcinoma">basal cell carcinomasquamous cell carcinoma.">, squamous cell carcinoma.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
carcinoma [(kahr-suh-noh-muh)]

A malignant tumor in the tissues that make up the skin, glands, mucous membranes, and lining of organs.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

carcinoma

a cancerous growth of surface (epithelial) tissues of the skin, digestive tract, blood vessels, and various organs. Carcinoma cells tend to invade surrounding healthy tissues and give rise to secondary growths (metastases) distant from the original tumour. In addition to the skin and digestive tract, carcinomas may develop in the reproductive tract, mucous membranes, lungs, and other internal organs and glands, including the liver, pancreas, thyroid, ovaries, and prostate. Cancers of the nervous system, blood, bone, and muscle are not carcinomas.

Learn more about carcinoma with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
Two main types of esophageal cancer exist: squamous cell carcinoma and
  adenocarcinoma.
Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid is cancer of the thyroid gland that starts
  in cells that release a hormone called calcitonin.
Basal cell carcinoma is a slow-growing form of skin cancer.
The hallmark of this disorder is the appearance of a type of skin cancer known
  as basal cell carcinoma at or around puberty.
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