Cancer

Someone with a Cancer star sign.

Proper noun

  1. A constellation of the zodiac traditionally figured in the shape of a crab.
    • And add more coals to Cancer when he burns / With entertaining great Hyperion. - c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, &...
    • Cancer was occupied by a scarab in Egypt, so the general shape of animal may have been suggested by Praesepe. - 1998, John H. Roger, “Origins of the ancient constellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions”, in Journal of...

    Synonyms: Crab

  2. The zodiac sign for the crab, ruled by the Moon and covering June 22–July 22 (tropical astrology) or July 16–August 15 (sidereal astrology).

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin cancer (“crab”), calque of Ancient Greek Καρκίνος (Karkínos, “crab”), calque of Akkadian 𒀀𒇻𒌅 (allutu, “crab”), from Sumerian 𒀯𒀠𒈜 (ᵐᵘˡAL.LUL, “crab; name of constellation”).

Forms

♋︎

Synonyms

Cancer Crab

Antonyms

Capricornus

Hypernyms

constellation

Derived

Cancerian Cancri first point of Cancer Tropic of Cancer

Noun

  1. Someone with a Cancer star sign.
    • ‘All right, so what are Cancers apart from sad, then?’ Lizzie asked. - 2022, Candice Carty-Williams, People Person, Trapeze, page 189:

Forms

Cancers

Synonyms

Cancerian