metastasizingadj.
/mᵻˈtastəsʌɪzɪŋ/, U.S. /məˈtæstəˌsaɪzɪŋ/ 1. Pathology. Of a disease, esp. a tumour: passing from one part or organ to another; undergoing metastasis (sense 2a).
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the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > characteristics > [adjective] > spreading or invasive
runninga1382
walkinga1398
erratic1547
accessive1575
errant1621
vagrant1656
metastatic1822
ambulant1828
aggressive1851
proliferous1874
proliferative1888
metastasizing1906
invasive1926
1906 Science 14 Dec. 766/2 (heading) Remarks on and exhibition of specimens of a metastasising sarcoma of the rat.
1948 R. A. Willis Pathol. Tumours xxii. 414 Many ‘carcinoids’, of the small intestine especially, are dangerously invasive and metastasizing growths.
1960 F. G. J. Hayhoe Leukaemia xvi. 318 Unquestionably leukaemoid reactions occasionally observed in association with..metastasizing tumours.
1988 P. W. Kuchel et al. Schaum's Outl. Theory & Probl. Biochem. v. 121 Metastasizing cancerous cells lack fibronectin or cause its proteolytic breakdown.
2. Chiefly U.S. In extended use: that spreads, intensifies, or escalates, esp. in an unpleasant or undesirable manner.
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1977 Ecologist 118/1 An exponential increase of provisions and regulations to cope with metastatizing side-effects.
1990 Chronicles July 19/1 The underclass in America is a growing, metastasizing cancer.
1993 Family Therapy Networker Sept. 22/3 More than once it has suggested that the child abuse ‘industry’ is simply one more opportunistic infection feeding on the metastasizing culture of victimization in America.
1997 E. White Farewell Symphony (1998) ii. 82 A fussy, pedantic voice, a logic-chopping niceness, a systematic, endlessly metastasizing paranoia.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1906