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cáncer

cancer

noun KAHN-sehr Rare

Origin: From Latin cancer (crab), originally a medical term for a spreading tumour.

Usage Note

Cáncer retains the accent in the plural cánceres to preserve the stress on the first syllable; without it the stress would shift to the second. In astrology, Cáncer (always capitalised) is the zodiac sign Cancer. The medical sense dominates in everyday speech.

Examples

"El médico detectó un cáncer temprano."

Natural Translation

The doctor detected an early cancer.

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