1
: a state of profound unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison
2
: a state of mental or physical sluggishness : torpor
plural comae
ˈkō-ˌmē 
-ˌmī
1
: a tufted bunch (as of branches, bracts, or seed hairs)
2
: the head of a comet consisting of a cloud of gas and dust and usually containing a nucleus
3
: an optical aberration in which the image of a point source is a comet-shaped blur
Examples of coma in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nadia Cantú, The Arizona Republic, 12 May 2024
My sister had slipped into a coma, and the prognosis was grim.
—Emmi S. Herman, STAT, 7 May 2024
The body can become hyperthermic in extreme heat, leading to symptoms like rapid pulse, change in mental status, faintness, and coma, according to the National Institutes of Health.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2024
Today, Amina remains in intensive care in a coma, al-Hassouni says.
—Majd Al-Waheidi, NPR, 5 May 2024
The incident left her in a coma for three and a half days.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
In Fallout: New Vegas, Mr. House develops defensive technology and robotics to protect himself and the city against nuclear attacks, but when the Great War begins, his equipment experiences issues that put him in a coma.
—Kayla Keegan, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
In a coma While the hit-and-run driver remains free, Onyxia — suffering from extensive brain injuries — is in a coma, connected to breathing and feeding tubes.
—Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
The fact that Norma’s fallen into a coma, and can’t be charmed (or conned) by Maxine any further, doesn’t help either.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024
Noun
Between the ages of 3 and 4, Luis Heberto had to undergo surgery for a hernia in the cerebellum and that was the most difficult for her, since her little boy was in a coma for three days.
—Nadia Cantú, The Arizona Republic, 12 May 2024
My sister had slipped into a coma, and the prognosis was grim.
—Emmi S. Herman, STAT, 7 May 2024
The body can become hyperthermic in extreme heat, leading to symptoms like rapid pulse, change in mental status, faintness, and coma, according to the National Institutes of Health.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2024
Today, Amina remains in intensive care in a coma, al-Hassouni says.
—Majd Al-Waheidi, NPR, 5 May 2024
The incident left her in a coma for three and a half days.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
In Fallout: New Vegas, Mr. House develops defensive technology and robotics to protect himself and the city against nuclear attacks, but when the Great War begins, his equipment experiences issues that put him in a coma.
—Kayla Keegan, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
In a coma While the hit-and-run driver remains free, Onyxia — suffering from extensive brain injuries — is in a coma, connected to breathing and feeding tubes.
—Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
The fact that Norma’s fallen into a coma, and can’t be charmed (or conned) by Maxine any further, doesn’t help either.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coma.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near coma
Cite this Entry
“Coma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coma. Accessed 19 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coma
1 of 2 noun
co·ma
ˈkō-mə
: a sleeplike state of unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison
coma
2 of 2 noun
plural comae
-ˌmē
-ˌmī
: the head of a comet made up of a cloud of gas and dust and usually containing a nucleus
Etymology
Noun
scientific Latin, from Greek kōma "deep sleep"
Noun
from Latin coma "hair," from Greek komē "hair" — related to comet
Medical Definition
coma
noun
co·ma
ˈkō-mə
: a state of profound unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison
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