Definition

A substance or agent that can cause cancer in living tissue.

Example

Asbestos is known to be a carcinogen that can lead to lung cancer.

Conversation

Did you hear that some foods contain carcinogens?

Yeah, it's pretty alarming how many things can be harmful to us.

I always try to read labels to avoid any potential carcinogen ingredients.

That's a smart idea! Being informed can really help us make better choices.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Carcinogen → It is formed from "carcino-" (from Greek "karkinos", meaning crab or cancer) and "-gen" (from Greek "genes", meaning born of or produced by). The word "carcinogen" refers to a substance that produces or generates cancer.

Memory Tip

Think of 'carcino-' relating to 'cancer' and '-gen' meaning 'producing' — so a carcinogen is something that produces cancer.

Visually Confused Words