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”), calque of Akkadian 𒀀𒇻𒌅 (allutu, “crab”), from Sumerian 𒀯𒀠𒈜 (^mulAL.LUL, “crab; name of constellation”).^[1]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkænsə/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkænsɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ænsə(ɹ)

Cancer (symbol ♋︎)

2. (astronomy) A constellation of the zodiac traditionally figured in the shape of a crab.

   Synonym: the Crab

   • c. 1602 (date written), 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.

   • 1998, John H. Roger, “Origins of the ancient constellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions”, in Journal of the British Astronomy Association, volume 108, number 1, page 27, column 2:

     Cancer was occupied by a scarab in Egypt, so the general shape of animal may have been suggested by Praesepe.

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 (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

Cancer m or f by sense (plural Cancers)

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

le 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

From cancer (“crab”).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkaŋ.kɛr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkan̠ʲ.t͡ʃer]
• Hyphenation: Can‧cer

Cancer m sg (genitive Cancrī); second declension

1. Cancer, one of the constellations of the Zodiac

Second-declension noun (nominative singular in -er), singular only.