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
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
The 21-year-old was placed in an induced coma and underwent surgery Tuesday in hopes of aiding his recovery.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Some of the most common symptoms of a stroke include aphasia (trouble speaking or loss of speech), blurry/double vision, confusion, coma, dizziness/loss of coordination, memory loss, mood swings and headaches.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2025
Alcohol and raw yeast dough pose serious threats as well, potentially causing poisoning, bloating, or even coma.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coma
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Noun
Ertegun was taken to the hospital, having fallen into a coma, and passed away on December 14.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
The 21-year-old was placed in an induced coma and underwent surgery Tuesday in hopes of aiding his recovery.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Some of the most common symptoms of a stroke include aphasia (trouble speaking or loss of speech), blurry/double vision, confusion, coma, dizziness/loss of coordination, memory loss, mood swings and headaches.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2025
Alcohol and raw yeast dough pose serious threats as well, potentially causing poisoning, bloating, or even coma.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coma
Cite this Entry
“Coma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coma. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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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