cancerogeno

carcinogenic

adjective kahn-cheh-ROH-jeh-noh Rare

Origin: From Greek karkinos (crab, cancer) + -geno (producing).

Usage Note

Cancerogeno agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: sostanza cancerogena (f), agenti cancerogeni (m pl). It is the standard medical and journalistic adjective; the noun cancerogeno (a carcinogen) also exists. The related term oncogeno refers specifically to a gene that can cause cancer.

Examples

"Il fumo è una sostanza cancerogena."

Natural Translation

Smoke is a carcinogenic substance.

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