French Conversation · Level 91
60 words
French word
cancéreux
Pronunciation
IPA/kɑ̃seʁø/
Meaning
- adjectivecancerous
Example
Le médecin a prélevé un tissu cancéreux.
The doctor took a sample of cancerous tissue.
More examples
La tumeur cancéreuse a été enlevée.
The cancerous tumor was removed.
Core concept
A body tissue marked by cancer cells and their abnormal growth.
Common phrases
tumeur cancéreuse
cancerous tumor
cellules cancéreuses
cancer cells
Similar words
malin: Malignant and likely to invade nearby tissues.
bénin: Benign, with relatively slow growth and little tendency to spread.
Definition in French
Décrit quelque chose présentant des cellules cancéreuses ou se rapportant à un cancer.
Word origin
French cancéreux combines cancer with the adjective-forming suffix -eux, while cancer comes through Latin cancer, 'crab', from Greek karkinos and became a medical term for a tumor.
Usage tips
- Cancéreux means cancerous, whereas cancérigène means cancer-causing and describes a potential cause rather than affected tissue.