coma

1 of 2

noun (1)

co·​ma ˈkō-mə How to pronounce coma (audio)
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 How to pronounce coma (audio)
-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 adjective

Examples of coma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Several bystanders were injured, with one reportedly sustaining a near-fatal skull fracture that left her in a coma for 24 days. John Russell, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024 The lamppost fell into the crowd below, injuring four people, including a woman who was left with a near-fatal skull fracture and was in a coma for 24 days. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024 Read the stories As part of the therapy, now discredited, injections of insulin would plunge a patient into deep coma as the brain was starved of sugar. Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024 Vallejo spent a month in a coma, then began the slow journey of relearning how to move and handle everyday tasks. Bridget Grumet, Austin American-Statesman, 24 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coma 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of coma was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near coma

Cite this Entry

“Coma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coma. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

coma

1 of 2 noun
co·​ma ˈkō-mə How to pronounce coma (audio)
: a sleeplike state of unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison

coma

2 of 2 noun
plural comae -ˌmē How to pronounce coma (audio)
-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 How to pronounce coma (audio)
: a state of profound unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison
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