coma

1 of 2

noun (1)

co·​ma ˈkō-mə 

1

: a state of profound unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison

2

: a state of mental or physical sluggishness : torpor

coma

2 of 2

noun (2)

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

comatic

kō-ˈma-tik 

adjective

Examples of coma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Williams, 69, has survived a fall while home alone, a brain bleed, a coma for nine days, and in-bed surgery to drain fluid buildup in his brain — and a major recovery effort. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026

Ingrid survives her coma and the family returns home, attempting to get back to normal. —Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026

People who have taken too much vitamin D, for example, have been taken to hospital with seizures, which, in some cases, have led to coma or death. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 2 Jan. 2026

The second, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, was charged after waking from a coma in a Sydney hospital. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

New Latin, from Greek kōma deep sleep

Noun (2)

Latin, hair, from Greek komē

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1669, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing coma

• food coma

Rhymes for coma

• chroma
• homa
• loma
• phoma
• soma
• stoma
• stroma
• toma
• adenocarcinoma
• choriocarcinoma
• pheochromocytoma
• ambystoma

Kids 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