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
Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Symptoms of the more serious illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
He was eventually diagnosed with bromism—a syndrome that can result in psychosis, hallucinations, and even a coma.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Put her in a coma for a few weeks.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coma
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Noun
Some lost their sight or fell into comas after drinking famous Brazilian caipirinhas, vodka tonics and other clear cocktails.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Symptoms of the more serious illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
He was eventually diagnosed with bromism—a syndrome that can result in psychosis, hallucinations, and even a coma.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Put her in a coma for a few weeks.
—Literary Hub, 30 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 7 Oct. 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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