melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə 

plural melanomas also melanomata ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə-tə 

1

: a tumor containing dark pigment

2

: a highly malignant tumor that starts in melanocytes of normal skin or moles and metastasizes rapidly and widely

Examples of melanoma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Founded by a melanoma survivor on a mission to eradicate skin cancer, all Cabana Life products are rated UPF 50+, the highest rating given to clothing. — ABC News, 20 June 2026

The American Cancer Society estimated that more than 8,000 people in the United States would die of melanoma in 2025. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 18 June 2026

The event was one in a series of 20 such walks nationwide to raise money to support people with melanoma, one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, and help fund research and raise awareness about it. — Point Loma-Ob Monthly, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2026

The agency charged that Mercola and his companies claimed the tanning systems were safe and that research showed that indoor tanning doesn’t raise the risk of melanoma, a type of skin cancer. — Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 12 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

melan- (in melanosis, melanotic) + -oma

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing melanoma

• malignant melanoma

Rhymes for melanoma

• ambystoma
• atheroma
• carcinoma
• coloboma
• granuloma
• haematoma
• hamartoma
• hemangioma
• hematoma
• hepatoma
• hybridoma
• myeloma

Kids Definition

melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌmel-ə-ˈnō-mə 

plural melanomas also melanomata -mət-ə 

: a usually malignant tumor containing dark pigment

Medical Definition

melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌmel-ə-ˈnō-mə 

plural melanomas also melanomata -mət-ə 

1

: a benign or malignant skin tumor containing dark pigment

2

: a tumor of high malignancy that starts in melanocytes of normal skin or moles and metastasizes rapidly and widely

called also malignant melanoma, melanocarcinoma, melanoepithelioma, melanosarcoma