tumor-free
|tu-mor-free|
🇺🇸
/ˈtuːmərˌfriː/
🇬🇧
/ˈtjuːmə(r)ˌfriː/
free of tumor / no tumor
Etymology
'tumor-free' is a compound of the noun 'tumor' and the adjective 'free'. 'tumor' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'tumor', where the root 'tumēre' meant 'to swell'. 'free' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'freo', which meant 'not in bondage, exempt'.
'tumor' entered English via Latin (and Old French influence) as 'tumor'/'tumour' in Middle English and retained the sense of a swelling; 'free' developed from Old English 'freo' into modern English 'free'. The compound 'tumor-free' arose in modern (chiefly medical) English to describe absence of tumors, becoming common in 20th-century clinical contexts.
Initially, 'tumor' meant 'a swelling' and 'free' meant 'not bound or restrained'; together the compound evolved to mean specifically 'without tumor' or 'no detectable tumor', a clinical status term.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not having a tumor; free from any tumor growth.
After the operation and follow-up scans, the patient was declared tumor-free.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 2
(medical/status) Having no detectable tumor after treatment or on examination; often used to describe remission or successful removal.
The biopsy results showed tumor-free margins, so no further surgery was needed.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/21 19:38