CANKER

pestilence, canker

(noun) a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of; “racism is a pestilence at the heart of the nation”; “according to him, I was the canker in their midst”

canker, canker sore

(noun) an ulceration (especially of the lips or lining of the mouth)

canker

(noun) a fungal disease of woody plants that causes localized damage to the bark

canker

(verb) infect with a canker

canker

(verb) become infected with a canker

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology 1

Noun

canker (countable and uncountable, plural cankers)

(plant disease) 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.

Synonyms

• (ulcer, especially of the mouth): water canker, canker of the mouth, noma

• (bird disease): avian trichomoniasis, roup

• (hawk disease): frounce

Etymology 2

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.

Anagrams

• Neckar, nacker

Source: Wiktionary

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Can"ker, n. Etym: [OE. canker, cancre, AS. cancer (akin to D. kanker, OHG chanchar.), fr. L. cancer a cancer; or if a native word, cf. Gr. cancre, F. chancere, fr. L. cancer. See cancer, and cf. Chancre.]

1. A corroding or sloughing ulcer; esp. a spreading gangrenous ulcer or collection of ulcers in or about the mouth; -- called also water canker, canker of the mouth, and noma.

2. Anything which corrodes, corrupts, or destroy. The cankers of envy and faction. Temple.

3. (Hort.)

Definition: A disease incident to trees, causing the bark to rot and fall off.

4. (Far.)

Definition: 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.

5. A kind of wild, worthless rose; the dog-rose. To put down Richard, that sweet lovely rose. And plant this thorm, this canker, Bolingbroke. Shak. Black canker. See under Black.

Can"ker, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cankered; p. pr. & vb. n. Cankering.]

1. To affect as a canker; to eat away; to corrode; to consune. No lapse of moons can canker Love. Tennyson.

2. To infect or pollute; to corrupt. Addison. A tithe purloined canker the whole estate. Herbert.

Can"ker, v. i.

1. To waste away, grow rusty, or be oxidized, as a mineral. [Obs.] Silvering will sully and canker more than gliding. Bacom.

2. To be or become diseased, or as if diseased, with canker; to grow corrupt; to become venomous. Deceit and cankered malice. Dryden. As with age his body uglier grows, So his mind cankers. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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