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

Melanoma has risen over the years According to the National Cancer Institute, melanoma of the skin is the fifth-most common cancer in the U.S. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer caused by prolonged exposure to direct and indirect sunlight (such as tanning beds). —Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 June 2025

Mellencamp confirmed she had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in April after her melanoma metastasized to her brain and lungs. —Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 20 June 2025

But the 43-year-old has been stuck in a different way these last few months, in the fight of her life amid a stage 4 melanoma diagnosis. —David Oliver, USA Today, 7 May 2025

The brain and lungs are the most common sites of metastasis for melanoma, experts confirmed. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025

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