noun

canker

KANG-kuh

Canker (noun) means a disease that causes decay in plants, or the damaged area it leaves behind. Example: “The orchard lost several apple trees to canker.”

noun

A disease that causes decay in plants, or the damaged area it leaves behind.

"The orchard lost several apple trees to canker."

A painful sore, especially inside the mouth.

"A canker sore made it hard for him to eat spicy food."

Figuratively, something that slowly corrupts or destroys from within.

"Corruption became a canker eating away at the institution."

verb

To corrode, corrupt, or slowly destroy.

"Years of resentment cankered their friendship."

How to use canker

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA sore or diseased spot, or something that quietly corrupts and eats away at something good.

Easily confused with

cancer →

Common pairings

canker sore a canker on society

Word forms

cankered past tense, cankers plural, cankers singular

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The orchard lost several apple trees to _____.

Etymology

From Old English cancer, "cancer" or "crab," ultimately from Latin cancer. A doublet of "cancer" and "chancre."

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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encanker

Related words

encanker

Rhymes for canker

anker wanker banker tanker

See all rhymes for canker →

Frequently asked questions

What does “canker” mean?

The word “canker” means a disease that causes decay in plants, or the damaged area it leaves behind. In plain terms, a sore or diseased spot, or something that quietly corrupts and eats away at something good.

How do you pronounce “canker”?

“Canker” is pronounced KANG-kuh (/ˈkæŋkɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “canker” in a sentence?

Here is “canker” used in a sentence: “The orchard lost several apple trees to canker.”

What is another word for “canker”?

Words with a similar meaning to “canker” include encanker.

What part of speech is “canker”?

Depending on how it is used, “canker” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “canker” come from?

The word “canker” comes from Latin. From Old English cancer, "cancer" or "crab," ultimately from Latin cancer. A doublet of "cancer" and "chancre.".

How many meanings does “canker” have?

“Canker” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a disease that causes decay in plants, or the damaged area it leaves behind.

People also searched

encanker