carcinogen

Definitions

carcino- (Greek karkinos = crab, the ancient name for cancer because tumors spread like a crab's legs) + -gen (producer). A carcinogen is literally a 'cancer-producer' — anything that generates cancer, from tobacco smoke to UV radiation.

Common Collocations

• 1.known carcinogen已知致癌物
• 2.potential carcinogen潜在致癌物
• 3.human carcinogen人类致癌物

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Tobacco smoke contains dozens of known carcinogens.

• 2.

  The chemical was classified as a probable human carcinogen.

• 3.

  Regulators banned the dye after it was identified as a carcinogen.