CANKERING

Verb

cankering

present participle of canker

Source: Wiktionary

CANKER

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