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
1
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
1
To treat someone with chemotherapy.
"Doctors decided to chemo the tumour before considering surgery."
How to use chemo
Learner’s notesIn 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
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- chemos
- Past tense
- chemoed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She started her first round of _____ in March.
Rhymes for chemo
See all rhymes for chemo →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.
