Glioma

/ɡliˈoʊmə/ noun

Definition

A type of tumor that grows from glial cells in the brain or spinal cord.

Etymology

From glio- (from Greek glia, glue) + -oma (a suffix meaning tumor), following the medical naming convention for neoplasms or abnormal growths.

Kelly Says

When doctors say 'glioma,' they're using a naming system from the 1800s that reveals the history of medicine—the -oma suffix appears in hundreds of tumor names (melanoma, carcinoma, lymphoma), creating a whole category of disease names with a consistent structure.

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