metastasis

What is another word for metastasis? Here is its meaning, with related words and examples.

Noun — Metastasis is the spread of a disease, especially cancer, from its original site to another part of the body.

We haven't recorded synonyms for metastasis yet. You can still read its full definition, where it comes from, or words that rhyme with it.

How to use metastasis

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

metastasis to the liver signs of metastasis risk of metastasis distant metastasis

The word belongs to formal medical language and is rarely used outside clinical or scientific contexts.

Etymology

Metastasis is a learned borrowing from Late Latin, which in turn took the word from Ancient Greek metastasis, meaning a change or a movement from one place or condition to another. Its modern medical sense, describing the spread of cancer, was first used this way in French in 1829 by the gynaecologist Joseph Récamier.

Full origin of metastasis →

Frequently asked questions

What does metastasis mean?

Metastasis means the spread of a disease, most often cancer, from where it began to another part of the body.

Where does the word metastasis come from?

It comes from Ancient Greek by way of Late Latin, where it originally referred to a change or shift from one state or place to another.

Who first used metastasis to describe cancer spreading?

The French gynaecologist Joseph Récamier is credited with using the word this way in 1829.

Nearby words

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