Definition

A small growth or structure that can be found in certain animals or as a noncancerous tumor in the lining of organs like the nose or intestines.

Example

The doctor found a polyp during the examination of the patient's colon.

Conversation

I just found out that I have a polyp in my colon.

Oh no! Is that serious?

Not really, the doctor said it's usually nonmalignant and just needs monitoring.

That's a relief! I hope everything goes smoothly with it.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Polyp → It is formed from "poly-" (from Greek "polus", meaning many) and "-pous" (from Greek "pous", meaning foot). The word "polyp" refers to a creature with many feet or appendages, often used in the context of marine animals like jellyfish or corals that have multiple tentacles.

Memory Tip

Think of 'many' ('poly-') and 'feet' ('pous') to remember that a polyp is an organism with many appendages.

Visually Confused Words