canker
/ˈkæŋkɚ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.38 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A corroding or sloughing ulcer; especially a spreading gangrenous ulcer or collection of ulcers in or about the mouth.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
An obstinate and often incurable disease of a horse's foot, characterized by separation of the horny portion and the development of fungoid growths. Usually resulting from neglected thrush.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
An avian disease affecting doves, poultry, parrots and birds of prey, caused by Trichomonas gallinae.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Slightly sunken brown cankers of variable size and shape affect stem parts primarily below the soil line."
- "loathsome canker lives in sweetest bud[…]"
- "the canker of destitution and violence."
- "the cankers of envy and faction"
- "There’s canker at the root, your seed Denies the blessing of the sun, The light essential to your need. Your hopes are murdered and undone."
- "To put down Richard, that ſweet louely Roſe, And plant this thorne, this canker Bullingbrooke?"
Etymology
From Middle English canker, cancre, from Old English cancer (“cancer; crab”), akin to Dutch kanker, Old High German chanchar. Ultimately from Latin cancer (“a cancer”). Doublet of cancer, a later borrowing from Latin, and chancre, which came through French.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkæŋkɚ/
- British English: /ˈkæŋkə/