Wordnet 3.0
NOUN (1)
1.
the spreading of a disease (especially cancer) to another part of the body;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Metastasis \Me*tas"ta*sis\, n.; pl. Metastases. [L.,
transition, fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? to place in another way; ? after
+ ? to place.]
1. (Theol.) A spiritual change, as during baptism.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Med.) A change in the location of a disease, as from one
part to another. --Dunglison.
[1913 Webster]
3. Especially: The migration of cancerous or malignant cells
from the site of their origin to other parts of the body.
Such cells may migrate to multiple new locations, making
therapy more difficult and often leading to death.
[PJC]
4. (Physiol.) The act or process by which matter is taken up
by cells or tissues and is transformed into other matter;
in plants, the act or process by which are produced all of
those chemical changes in the constituents of the plant
which are not accompanied by a production of organic
matter; metabolism.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
metastasis
n 1: the spreading of a disease (especially cancer) to another
part of the body
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
78 Moby Thesaurus words for "metastasis":
anastrophe, avatar, catabolism, catalysis, chiasmus, communication,
conduction, consubstantiation, contagion, convection, delivery,
deportation, diapedesis, diffusion, displacement, dissemination,
export, exportation, expulsion, extradition, heterotopia,
hypallage, hyperbaton, hysteron proteron, import, importation,
interchange, metabolism, metagenesis, metamorphism, metamorphosis,
metathesis, metempsychosis, migration, mutant, mutated form,
mutation, mutual transfer, osmosis, palindrome, parenthesis,
passage, passing over, perfusion, permutation, reincarnation,
sport, spread, spreading, synchysis, tmesis, transanimation,
transduction, transfer, transfer of property, transference,
transfiguration, transfigurement, transformation, transformism,
transfusion, transit, transition, translation, translocation,
transmigration, transmigration of souls, transmission, transmittal,
transmittance, transmogrification, transmutation, transplacement,
transplantation, transposal, transposition, transubstantiation,
travel