metastasis (mɪˈtæstəsɪs
)
Definitions
noun
- pathology the spreading of a disease, esp cancer cells, from one part of the body to another
- a transformation or change, as in rhetoric, from one point to another
- a rare word for metabolism
Alternative Forms
metastatic (ˌmɛtəˈstætɪk) adjective ˌmetaˈstatically adverb Word Origin
C16: via Latin from Greek: transitionUsage examples
This ability aids metastasis by allowing cancerous cells that enter the bloodstream to lodge themselves in other parts of the body.
New Scientist (2003)When the primary tumour (cancer cell mass) is sufficiently large it enters a second phase called metastasis.
, The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)