Cancer

From Latin cancer (“crab”), from Ancient Greek καρκίνος (karkínos, “crab”).

Cancer m

1. A taxonomic genus within the family Cancridae – true crabs, distinguished by the presence of a single posterolateral spine (on the edge of the carapace, towards the rear), anterolateral spines with deep fissures (on the carapace edge, towards the front), and a short extension of the carapace forward between the eyes.

• (genus): Eukaryota – superkingdom; Animalia – kingdom; Bilateria – subkingdom; Protostomia – infrakingdom; Ecdysozoa – superphylum; Arthropoda – phylum; Crustacea – subphylum; Malacostraca – class; Eumalacostraca – subclass; Eucarida – superorder; Decapoda – order; Pleocyemata – suborder; Brachyura – infraorder; Eubrachyura – section; Heterotremata – subsection; Cancroidea – superfamily; Cancridae – family

• (genus): Cancer pagurus (edible crab or brown crab) - type species; Cancer bellianus (toothed rock crab), Cancer borealis (Jonah crab), Cancer irroratus (Atlantic rock crab), Cancer johngarthi, Cancer plebejus, Cancer porteri, Cancer productus (red rock crab) - species

• Cancer (genus) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Cancer on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Cancer (Brachyura) on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Learned borrowing from Latin cancer (“crab”), calque of Ancient Greek Καρκίνος (Karkínos, “crab”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkænsə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkænsɚ/
• Rhymes: -ænsə(ɹ)

Cancer (symbol ♋︎)

2. (astronomy) A constellation of the zodiac supposedly shaped like a crab.
   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

     And add more coals to Cancer when he burns / With entertaining great Hyperion.

4. (astrology) The zodiac sign for the crab, ruled by the Moon and covering June 22–July 22 (tropical astrology) or July 16–August 15 (sidereal astrology).

• Capricornus

• Cancerian
• Cancri
• first point of Cancer
• Tropic of Cancer

Cancer (plural Cancers)

1. Someone with a Cancer star sign.
   • 2022, Candice Carty-Williams, People Person, Trapeze, page 189:

     ‘All right, so what are Cancers apart from sad, then?’ Lizzie asked.

• Cancerian

• Cancer (constellation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• crance

Ultimately from Latin cancer (“crab”).

• Hyphenation: Can‧cer

Cancer inan

1. Cancer (constellation)

   Synonym: Karramarroa

• “Cancer”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]

Borrowed from Latin cancer.

• IPA^(key): /kɑ̃.sɛʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Cancer m or f by sense (plural Cancers)

1. Cancer (someone born with a Cancer star sign)

Cancer m

1. Cancer (constellation)
2. (astrology) Cancer (star sign)

• tropique du Cancer

• “Cancer”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.