A tumor is an abnormaldifferent from what is usual or expected; not normal growth of tissue in the body. It may be harmlessnot causing injury, damage, or danger or cancerousmade of cells that can spread and cause serious disease, depending on the type. In everyday English, people often use the word to talk about an unwanted lump or growth that needs medical attention.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈtuːmɚ/
Easy pronunciation: TOO-mer (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable: TOO-mer.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Tumor Meaning
an unusual lump or growth of tissue, sometimes cancerous
Part of speech: noun
Definition: an abnormal new mass of tissue in the body
Example: The scan showed a tumor on her lung.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- neoplasm — Medical term for an abnormal growth or mass of tissue.
- tumour — British spelling of the same word.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Tumor Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- neoplasm
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Tumor is often misspelled as "tumour" in American English, but that is the British spelling, not a different word.
- Tumor does not mean any lump or swelling in general unless it is a medical growth.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does tumor mean?
A tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the body. It can be benign or cancerous.
What are synonyms for tumor?
The main synonyms are neoplasm and tumour, though tumour is just the British spelling of tumor.
Is tumor always cancer?
No. A tumor can be benign or malignant, so not every tumor is cancerous.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
