noun
canker
KANG-kuh
noun
1
A disease that causes decay in plants, or the damaged area it leaves behind.
"The orchard lost several apple trees to canker."
2
A painful sore, especially inside the mouth.
"A canker sore made it hard for him to eat spicy food."
3
Figuratively, something that slowly corrupts or destroys from within.
"Corruption became a canker eating away at the institution."
verb
1
To corrode, corrupt, or slowly destroy.
"Years of resentment cankered their friendship."
How to Use Canker
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sore or diseased spot, or something that quietly corrupts and eats away at something good.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
canker sore
a canker on society
Word Forms
cankered past tense, cankers plural, cankers singular
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Etymology
From Old English cancer, "cancer" or "crab," ultimately from Latin cancer. A doublet of "cancer" and "chancre."