melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə 

plural melanomas also melanomata ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə-tə 

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

The event was one in a series of 20 such walks nationwide to raise money to support people with melanoma, one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, and help fund research and raise awareness about it. —Point Loma-Ob Monthly, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2026

The agency charged that Mercola and his companies claimed the tanning systems were safe and that research showed that indoor tanning doesn’t raise the risk of melanoma, a type of skin cancer. —Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 12 June 2026

Consider Keytruda, an immunotherapy that began as a treatment for advanced melanoma. —Tomas J. Philipson, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 112,000 new melanomas are likely to be diagnosed in 2026, and 8,510 people are expected to die from the skin cancer variant. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

melan- (in melanosis, melanotic) + -oma

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing melanoma

• malignant melanoma

Rhymes for melanoma

• ambystoma
• atheroma
• carcinoma
• coloboma
• granuloma
• haematoma
• hamartoma
• hemangioma
• hematoma
• hepatoma
• hybridoma
• myeloma

Kids Definition

melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌmel-ə-ˈnō-mə 

plural melanomas also melanomata -mət-ə 

: a usually malignant tumor containing dark pigment

Medical Definition

melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌmel-ə-ˈnō-mə 

plural melanomas also melanomata -mət-ə 

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