canker

== English == === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkæŋkɚ/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkæŋkə/ Rhymes: -æŋkə(ɹ) Hyphenation: can‧ker === Etymology 1 === 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. ==== Noun ==== canker (countable and uncountable, plural cankers) (phytopathology) A plant disease marked by gradual decay. A region of dead plant tissue caused by such a disease. A worm or grub that destroys plant buds or leaves; cankerworm. A corroding or sloughing ulcer; especially a spreading gangrenous ulcer or collection of ulcers in or about the mouth. Anything which corrodes, corrupts, or destroys. A kind of wild rose; the dog rose. 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. An avian disease affecting doves, poultry, parrots and birds of prey, caused by Trichomonas gallinae. (rare, now Cornwall) A crab. ===== Synonyms ===== (ulcer, especially of the mouth): water canker, canker of the mouth, noma (bird disease): avian trichomoniasis, roup (hawk disease): frounce ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== chancre ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English cankren, from the noun (see above). ==== Verb ==== canker (third-person singular simple present cankers, present participle cankering, simple past and past participle cankered) (transitive) To affect as a canker; to eat away; to corrode; to consume. (transitive) To infect or pollute; to corrupt. (intransitive) To waste away, grow rusty, or be oxidized, as a mineral. (intransitive) To be or become diseased, or as if diseased, with canker; to grow corrupt; to become venomous. ===== Synonyms ===== (obsolete) encanker === References === “canker”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. === Anagrams === Neckar, nacker == Scots == === Alternative forms === cancre, cankyr, kanker === Etymology === Middle English canker, cancre, Old English cancer, akin to Dutch kanker, Old High German chanchar. From Latin cancer (“a cancer”). === Pronunciation === (Southern Scots) IPA(key): /ˈkɔːŋɡkʌr/ === Noun === canker (plural cankers) Bad temper. === Verb === canker (third-person singular simple present cankers, present participle cankerin, simple past and past participle cankert) (archaic) To become bad-tempered, to fret, to worry.