papillary

adjective

pap·​il·​lary ˈpa-pə-ˌler-ē How to pronounce papillary (audio)
especially British
pə-ˈpi-lə-rē How to pronounce papillary (audio)
: of, relating to, being, or resembling a papilla or nipple-shaped projection, mass, or structure : marked by the presence of papillae
papillary thyroid carcinoma
tumors with papillary projections

Examples of papillary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Papillary or Follicular Thyroid Cancer Staging Age makes a difference when staging papillary or follicular thyroid cancer. Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 1 Aug. 2024 But with the new information after her CT scan from the fall, her oncologist ordered a biopsy of her thyroid, which revealed the truth: papillary thyroid cancer. Susan Young, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024 Tests revealed that Clough had anaplastic thyroid cancer, a far more aggressive form than papillary. Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024 Diagnosing these cancers wasn’t saving lives: almost all were papillary thyroid tumors, which are present in as many as a third of all adults and rarely cause problems. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2024 In response to Morton-Maxson's complaint in King County Superior Court, UW Medicine stated on Aug. 14 that his tumor, identified as a papillary lesion, had not been located or reviewed by the hospital's pathology department after his surgery. Sandra Rose Salathe, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2023 Between his second and third NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Williams was diagnosed with papillary renal cell carcinoma type 2, already at stage 3, and on May 28, 2015, Williams had one of his kidneys removed. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 28 June 2023 The American Cancer Society states on its website that most papillary cancers are treated with the removal of the thyroid gland, and if lymph nodes are enlarged or show signs of cancer spread, they will be removed as well. Stephen Simpson, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2022 In 2015, Williams was diagnosed with papillary renal cell carcinoma type 2, already at stage 3, and had a kidney removed in May. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 21 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

alteration (by substition of the suffix -ary entry 2) of papillar, borrowed from New Latin papillāris "of the nipple," from Latin papilla "nipple" + -āris -ar — more at papilla

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of papillary was in 1667

Dictionary Entries Near papillary

Cite this Entry

“Papillary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papillary. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

papillary

adjective
pap·​il·​lary
ˈpap-ə-ˌler-ē, especially British pə-ˈpil-ə-rē
: of, relating to, or resembling a papilla : papillose

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