Main Entry: mel·a·no·ma

Pronunciation: \ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural mel·a·no·mas also mel·a·no·ma·ta \-mə-tə\

Etymology: New Latin

Date: 1838

1 : a tumor containing dark pigment
2 : a highly malignant tumor that starts in melanocytes of normal skin or moles and metastasizes rapidly and widely