melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə How to pronounce melanoma (audio)
plural melanomas also melanomata ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə-tə How to pronounce melanoma (audio)
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

Examples of melanoma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Checkpoint inhibitors are another type of immunotherapy being studied for their effectiveness in treating eye melanoma. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 And last December the companies Moderna and Merck announced positive results from their latest study of an mRNA vaccine used in combination with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda for treating melanoma. Jaimie Seaton, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2024 Many types of cancer including breast, brain, and melanoma, had no significant associations with recent weight loss, the researchers found. TIME, 24 Jan. 2024 Strand is initially targeting easy-to-reach tumors, including melanoma and breast cancer, to prove that the approach works and is safe. Emily Mullin, WIRED, 22 Jan. 2024 In addition to helping spot melanoma, which is the most deadly form of skin cancer, the device can also assess moles for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2024 While most GPs can perform basic skin exams during a checkup, Dr. Markowitz has seen the rare case where a melanoma was missed. Beth Sobol, Allure, 29 Nov. 2023 He was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 — melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain — but he was later declared cancer-free. Antonio Planas, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2023 That’s how many new cases of melanoma were reported in 2020, when just over 8,200 people died of the skin cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brian Bushard, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'melanoma.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

melan- (in melanosis, melanotic) + -oma

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of melanoma was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near melanoma

Cite this Entry

“Melanoma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melanoma. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

melanoma

noun
mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌmel-ə-ˈnō-mə How to pronounce melanoma (audio)
plural melanomas also melanomata -mət-ə How to pronounce melanoma (audio)
: a usually malignant tumor containing dark pigment

Medical Definition

melanoma

noun
mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌmel-ə-ˈnō-mə How to pronounce melanoma (audio)
plural melanomas also melanomata -mət-ə How to pronounce melanoma (audio)
1
: a benign or malignant skin tumor containing dark pigment
2
: a tumor of high malignancy that starts in melanocytes of normal skin or moles and metastasizes rapidly and widely

called also malignant melanoma, melanocarcinoma, melanoepithelioma, melanosarcoma

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!