Canker — Defs

01 n. A corroding or sloughing ulcer; esp. a spreading gangrenous ulcer or collection of ulcers in or about the mouth; -- called also water canke…

1.
A corroding or sloughing ulcer; esp. a spreading gangrenous ulcer or collection of ulcers in or about the mouth; -- called also water canker, canker of the mouth, and noma. Also: water canker, canker of the mouth, noma
2.
Anything which corrodes, corrupts, or destroy.
“The cankers of envy and faction.” — Temple.
3.
A disease incident to trees, causing the bark to rot and fall off.(Hort.)
4.
An obstinate and often incurable disease of a horse's foot, characterized by separation of the horny portion and the development of fungoid growths; -- usually resulting from neglected thrush.(Far.)
5.
A kind of wild, worthless rose; the dog-rose.
“To put down Richard, that sweet lovely rose. And plant this thorm, this canker, Bolingbroke.” — Shak.

Phrases & compounds

Black canker — See under Black.

02 v. t. To affect as a canker; to eat away; to corrode; to consume.

imp. & p. p. Cankered; p. pr. & vb. n. Cankering

1.
To affect as a canker; to eat away; to corrode; to consume.
“No lapse of moons can canker Love.” — Tennyson.
2.
To infect or pollute; to corrupt.
“A tithe purloined cankers the whole estate.” — Herbert.

03 v. i. To waste away, grow rusty, or be oxidized, as a mineral.

1.
To waste away, grow rusty, or be oxidized, as a mineral.[Obs.]
“Silvering will sully and canker more than gliding.” — Bacom.
2.
To be or become diseased, or as if diseased, with canker; to grow corrupt; to become venomous.
“Deceit and cankered malice.” — Dryden.

“As with age his body uglier grows, So his mind cankers.” — Shak.