Onco

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A prefix related to tumors or cancerous growths in medical terminology
2. A component often used in biological sciences to discuss neoplasms or cancer-related studies
3. A term in healthcare that denotes subjects pertaining to oncology or cancer treatments

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "onkos" meant a mass, bulk, or burden, the sort of weight a person carried or a heavy load pressing down. Physicians later used it for a swelling, and from that sense the combining form "onco-" came to denote tumours. The clipped form here is shorthand for oncology, the medical study and treatment of cancer. The clipping follows a common pattern in medicine, where a long combining form is shortened for everyday use. Oncology itself combines "onco-" with "-logy," meaning the study of something, so it literally means the study of swellings. Other English words built on the same root include "oncogene," a gene that can promote cancer when altered, and "oncologist," a doctor who treats cancer. Used as an adjective, "onco" simply means relating to that field.

Synonyms: oncology, cancer-related