adipose tumor

6.1

A soft lump under the skin made of fat that is usually not cancerous

noun
/ˈædɪˌpoʊs ˈtjuːmər/

Specialized

: tumor adiposo

An adipose tumor usually grows slowly and is not cancerous.

Examples

Surgical removal of an adipose tumor is sometimes recommended if it causes discomfort.
The doctor diagnosed the lump as an adipose tumor after a physical examination.
The doctor diagnosed her with an adipose tumor.
Many people have benign adipose tumors that require no treatment.
An adipose tumor usually grows slowly and is not cancerous.
The doctor diagnosed the lump as an adipose tumor after a physical examination.
Surgical removal of an adipose tumor is sometimes recommended if it causes discomfort.

Synonyms

lipoma

vsadipose tumor

Specialized

1 7.9

A soft lump of fat under the skin that is not harmful

is the alternative medical name for the same fatty mass

myxolipoma

vsadipose tumor

Specialized

9.9

A non-cancerous growth made of soft, jelly-like and fatty tissue

is only fatty tissue without the gelatinous component

angiolipoma

vsadipose tumor

Specialized

9.3

A harmless lump under the skin made of fat and small blood vessels

lacks the vascular component and consists solely of fatty tissue

Surface Forms

adipose tumor singular

adipose tumors plural

Morphology

adipose + tumor

The meaning 'a tumor composed of fatty tissue' follows directly from combining 'adipose' (fatty tissue) with 'tumor' (a localized mass), so a learner who knows both words can infer the compound meaning. Although the term is medical/technical, its composition is literal and cross-linguistically regular, making it readily understandable to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Adipose tumor comes from adipose, an old word for 'fat', and tumor, meaning a 'lump'. The phrase paints the simple image of a lump made of fat, so it means a tumor made of fatty tissue that is often 'not cancerous'.