canker

canker · noun¹

1. Latin · derived fromcancer“a cancer”
2. Old English · inherited fromcancer“cancer; crab”
3. Middle English · inherited fromcanker
4. English todaycanker

From Middle English canker, cancre, from Old English cancer (“cancer; crab”), akin to Dutch kanker, Old High German chanchar. Ultimately from Latin cancer (“a cancer”). Doublet of cancer, a later borrowing from Latin, and chancre, which came through French.

canker · verb²

1. Middle English · inherited fromcankren
2. English todaycanker

From Middle English cankren, from the noun (see above).

Words from the same roots