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
Laura Schifter, Time, 13 Sep. 2025
In the last stage, the parts of the brain that regulate breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure are damaged, leading to coma and death.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
He was intubated and put into a medical coma.
—Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
The 41-year-old suffered severe brain damage and spent four months in a coma.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coma
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Noun
This past July, a 16 year-old in Memphis died from heatstroke after a football practice, and a 17-year-old in Houston spent a week in a coma following a training session.
—Laura Schifter, Time, 13 Sep. 2025
In the last stage, the parts of the brain that regulate breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure are damaged, leading to coma and death.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
He was intubated and put into a medical coma.
—Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
The 41-year-old suffered severe brain damage and spent four months in a coma.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 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 17 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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