2. Anything which corrodes, corrupts, or destroy. The cankers of envy and faction. Temple.
3. (Hort.)
Defn: A disease incident to trees, causing the bark to rot and fall off.
4. (Far.)
Defn: An obstinate and often incurable disease of a horse's foot, characterized by separation of the horny portion and the development of fungoid growths; — usually resulting from neglected thrush.
5. A kind of wild, worthless rose; the dog-rose. To put down Richard, that sweet lovely rose. And plant this thorm, this canker, Bolingbroke. Shak. Black canker. See under Black.
CANKER
Can"ker, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cankered; p. pr. & vb. n. Cankering.]
1. To affect as a canker; to eat away; to corrode; to consune. No lapse of moons can canker Love. Tennyson.
2. To infect or pollute; to corrupt. Addison. A tithe purloined canker the whole estate. Herbert.
CANKER
Can"ker, v. i.