肿瘤
zhǒngliú · HSK 7
tumor
🦠 肿 swell + 瘤 lump = an abnormal swollen lump: a tumor
Both characters carry the 疒 sickness radical. 肿 means swell and 瘤 means lump or growth, so 肿瘤 literally stacks swelling and growth into the medical word for tumor. Sound: zhǒngliú, with zhǒng sharing the swell sense of 'swollen'.
肿 — flesh radical 月 (肉) + 重 zhòng
A semantic-phonetic compound. The 月 radical (a form of 肉 'flesh') signals a bodily condition, while 重 'heavy' supplies the sound and hints at the swollen, weighty feel. Together they convey 'swelling' or a tumor on the body.