tumor

B2 Topic:The Human Body

Also spelled tumours

US /tuː.məɹ/ UK /tjuː.mə/ See IPA manual

noun Freq #6361

Meanings

1

noun
An abnormal lump of tissue that grows in or on the body and can be harmful.

The doctors removed a benign tumor from her arm.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an abnormal lump of tissue... growth mass neoplasm

Word family

Forms tumors

Etymology

From Middle English tumour, from Old French tumour, from Latin tumor (“swelling”), from tumeō (“bulge, swell”, verb), from Proto-Italic *tumēō, from Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- (“to swell”). Related to English thumb.

*tewh₂- Proto-Indo-European tumour Middle English tumor Latin *tumēō Proto-Italic

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Topics

The Human Body

# tumor

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** tuː.məɹ
**IPA (UK):** tjuː.mə
**Frequency rank:** 6361

## Meanings
1. An abnormal lump of tissue that grows in or on the body and can be harmful.

## Examples
- The doctors removed a benign tumor from her arm.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *tewh₂-
- Root: tumour
- Root: tumor
- Root: *tumēō

## Etymology
From Middle English tumour, from Old French tumour, from Latin tumor (“swelling”), from tumeō (“bulge, swell”, verb), from Proto-Italic *tumēō, from Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- (“to swell”). Related to English thumb.

## AI Etymology
Tumor is from Middle English tumour, from Old French tumour, from Latin tumor (“swelling”), from tumeō (“bulge, swell”, verb), from Proto-Italic *tumēō, from Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- (“to swell”). Related to English thumb. The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂-, Middle English tumour, Old French tumour, Latin tumor, Proto-Italic *tumēō. In present-day use, it can mean an abnormal lump of tissue that grows in or on the body and can be harmful.

## Topics
- The Human Body

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tumor

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