cancer bush

noun

A legume native to Southern Africa that grows red flowers and bloated pods, often used in folk medicine; Lessertia frutescens (formerly Sutherlandia frutescens).

Similar
balloon peasutherlandia
OriginAfrikaans kankerbos →
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Meanings

nouncancer bush (plural cancer bushes)

plural cancer bushes · alternative cancer-bush

  1. A legume native to Southern Africa that grows red flowers and bloated pods, often used in folk medicine; Lessertia frutescens (formerly Sutherlandia frutescens).

    Synonyms: balloon pea, sutherlandia

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA legume native to Southern Africa that grows red flowers and bloated pods, often used in folk medicine; Lessertia frutescens (formerly Sutherlandia frutescens).

Similar
balloon peasutherlandia

Origin

  1. Afrikaanskankerbos
  2. Englishcancer bush

From cancer (“disease”) + bush, probably a calque of Afrikaans kankerbos. Named after one of its uses in folk medicine.

More words from Afrikaans

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

cancer bush. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cancer%20bush

MLA

“cancer bush.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cancer%20bush. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cancer bush,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cancer%20bush.

Source: cancer bush on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.