teratoma

noun

ter·​a·​to·​ma ˌter-ə-ˈtō-mə How to pronounce teratoma (audio)
plural teratomas also teratomata ˌter-ə-ˈtō-mə-tə How to pronounce teratoma (audio)
: a tumor made up of a heterogeneous mixture of tissues

Examples of teratoma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But taking it too far produces teratomas, tumors filled with teeth and hair. Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025 The physicians scheduled Mary for surgery and determined that the masses on her ovaries were not cysts, but actually were tumors called teratomas, which typically are benign. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 3 July 2025 Dermoid Also referred to as a teratoma, this type of cyst can contain a collection of body tissue that may also be found in skin, hair, and even teeth. Grace Gavilanes, Glamour, 2 Jan. 2023 Perhaps the teratoma had prevented her airway from developing. Christopher Hartnick, STAT, 1 Sep. 2022

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Teratom, from Greek terat-, téras "sign sent by the gods, portent, marvel, monster" + German -om -oma — more at terato-

Note: Term probably introduced by the German pathologist Rudolf virchow, no later than 1866, when it appears in the article "Ein tiefes auriculares Dermoid des Halses," Archiv für pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für klinische Medicin (Virchows Archiv), Band 53, p. 210.

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teratoma was in 1879

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Cite this Entry

“Teratoma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teratoma. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Medical Definition

teratoma

noun
ter·​a·​to·​ma ˌter-ə-ˈtō-mə How to pronounce teratoma (audio)
plural teratomas also teratomata -mət-ə How to pronounce teratoma (audio)
: a tumor derived from more than one embryonic layer and made up of a heterogeneous mixture of tissues (as epithelium, bone, cartilage, or muscle)
teratomatous adjective

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