coma

1 of 2

noun (1)

co·​ma ˈkō-mə 

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 

-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

kō-ˈma-tik 

adjective

Examples of coma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Anyhow, Resurrection finds Dexter alive but languishing in a coma in an upstate New York hospital and being haunted by some of his most notable victims during his twilight sleep. —EW.com, 10 July 2025

Then he gets hit by a bus and, while in a coma, gets passed over again in favor of John Stewart. —Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 9 July 2025

Shortly after its discovery, signs of a comet-like coma and tail became evident, giving it an additional designation of C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), the naming convention for comets. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 7 July 2025

The 41-year-old suffered severe brain damage and spent four months in a coma. —Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025

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

Phrases Containing coma

• food coma

Rhymes for coma

• chroma
• homa
• loma
• phoma
• soma
• stoma
• stroma
• toma
• adenocarcinoma
• choriocarcinoma
• pheochromocytoma
• ambystoma

Kids 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