cancer and crab share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. cancer means “any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream”. crab means “decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers”. cancer is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkænsɚ/
1.n.any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream
2.n.(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Cancer
3.n.a small zodiacal constellation in the northern hemisphere; between Leo and Gemini
/ˈkɹæb/
| cancer | crab | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkænsɚ/ | /ˈkɹæb/ |
| Said | KAN-sur | krab |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 5 | 11 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | malignant neoplastic disease | none recorded |
Full entry for cancer · Full entry for crab · More comparisons
1.n.decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers
2.n.a quarrelsome grouch
3.n.(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Cancer