metastasizev.
/mᵻˈtastəsʌɪz/, U.S. /məˈtæstəˌsaɪz/ 1. intransitive. Pathology. Of a disease, esp. a tumour: to spread from one part or organ to another; to undergo metastasis (sense 2a).
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > characteristics > characterize a disease [verb (intransitive)] > spread or invade
strike1843
to strike in1887
track1903
metastasize1907
1907 Jrnl. Med. Res. 17 187 As might be expected the tendency to metastasize is much greater in certain tumours than in others.
1947 Nature 4 Jan. 15/1 Many prostatic cancers which have metastasized stand still or disappear after the removal of the patients' testicles.
1974 R. Passmore & J. S. Robson Compan. Med. Stud. III. xix. 14/2 This tumour invades neighbouring structures, advances along nerves and often recurs after local removal. It may eventually metastasize to distant organs.
1984 J. A. Phillips Machine Dreams 17 Even after the disease metastasized, she wasn't as afraid as most people would be.
2. intransitive. Chiefly U.S. In extended use: to transfer or spread from a place of origin; spec. to intensify or escalate in an undesirable manner.
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1947 Jrnl. Econ. Hist. 7 Suppl. 130 Dispute centers rather about how large this role may become before the public economy metastasizes and swallows up the private economy.
1968 New Eng. Jrnl. Med. 14 Mar. 621/4 If, in the next 20 to 40 years we allow communism to metastasize as it has, neither the then Drs Butler, Schwarz, Osborn and Nowygrod nor myself will be allowed to express ourselves as we are now.
1989 A. B. Giamatti Take Time for Paradise ii. 63 When laxity on that scale occurs, then cheating on a large scale metastasizes.
1994 N.Y. Mag. 22 Aug. 24/2 Trash values metastasize through our cultural lymph nodes.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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