Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun cancer

5 senses of cancer

Sense 1
cancer, malignant neoplastic disease -- (any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream)
       => malignant tumor, malignant neoplasm, metastatic tumor -- (a tumor that is malignant and tends to spread to other parts of the body)

Sense 2
Cancer, Crab -- ((astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Cancer)
       => person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul -- (a human being; "there was too much for one person to do")

Sense 3
Cancer -- (a small zodiacal constellation in the northern hemisphere; between Leo and Gemini)
       INSTANCE OF=> constellation -- (a configuration of stars as seen from the earth)

Sense 4
Cancer, Cancer the Crab, Crab -- (the fourth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about June 21 to July 22)
       INSTANCE OF=> sign of the zodiac, star sign, sign, mansion, house, planetary house -- ((astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided)

Sense 5
Cancer, genus Cancer -- (type genus of the family Cancridae)
       => arthropod genus -- (a genus of arthropods)