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
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
Medical attention for bacterial meningitis is especially important since the infection can result in coma, seizures, or death.1
Prevention
The best way to prevent bacterial meningitis is to get vaccinated.
—Sarah Lemire, Health, 19 Mar. 2024
Nadeau would spend three weeks in a coma and doctors gave him only a 6% chance of surviving.
—Greg Engle, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The Mayo Clinic says potential side effects may include: weight loss, dry mouth, chills, nausea, vomiting, constipation, changes in urine, liver damage, muscle pain, dizziness, drowsiness, hallucinations, depression, delusion, seizures and coma.
—Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2024
High levels of lead exposure can cause severe brain and central nervous system damage, leading to intellectual disabilities, behavioral disorders, coma, convulsions and death, according to the World Health Organization.
—Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024
As the comet approaches the sun, the ice begins to turn to gas that can burst out of the comet in a cloud of dust that creates a huge, fuzzy cloud around the nucleus called the coma.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024
Noun
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
Medical attention for bacterial meningitis is especially important since the infection can result in coma, seizures, or death.1
Prevention
The best way to prevent bacterial meningitis is to get vaccinated.
—Sarah Lemire, Health, 19 Mar. 2024
Nadeau would spend three weeks in a coma and doctors gave him only a 6% chance of surviving.
—Greg Engle, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The Mayo Clinic says potential side effects may include: weight loss, dry mouth, chills, nausea, vomiting, constipation, changes in urine, liver damage, muscle pain, dizziness, drowsiness, hallucinations, depression, delusion, seizures and coma.
—Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2024
High levels of lead exposure can cause severe brain and central nervous system damage, leading to intellectual disabilities, behavioral disorders, coma, convulsions and death, according to the World Health Organization.
—Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024
As the comet approaches the sun, the ice begins to turn to gas that can burst out of the comet in a cloud of dust that creates a huge, fuzzy cloud around the nucleus called the coma.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 19 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 24 Apr. 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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