noun Uncommon

chemo

KEE-moh

Chemo (noun) means Short for chemotherapy, a medical treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Example: “She started her first round of chemo in March.”

noun

Short for chemotherapy, a medical treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells.

"She started her first round of chemo in March."

"His hair fell out after a few weeks of chemo."

verb

To treat someone with chemotherapy.

"Doctors decided to chemo the tumour before considering surgery."

How to use chemo

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe everyday short form of "chemotherapy", the drug treatment used against cancer.

When to use it

Very common in spoken and informal written English; "chemotherapy" is the formal medical term.

Common pairings

a round of chemo chemo treatment undergo chemo

Word forms

chemoed past tense, chemos singular

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She started her first round of _____ in March.

Rhymes for chemo

emo demo memo Nemo problemo

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Frequently asked questions

What does “chemo” mean?

The word “chemo” means short for chemotherapy, a medical treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. In plain terms, the everyday short form of "chemotherapy", the drug treatment used against cancer.

How do you pronounce “chemo”?

“Chemo” is pronounced KEE-moh (/ˈkimoʊ/ in IPA).

How do you use “chemo” in a sentence?

Here is “chemo” used in a sentence: “She started her first round of chemo in March.”

What part of speech is “chemo”?

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

Is “chemo” a common word?

“Chemo” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “chemo” have?

“Chemo” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: short for chemotherapy, a medical treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells.