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

Tanning bed usage before the age of 35 is associated with a 75% increase in the risk of melanoma, the most serious and frequently fatal form of skin cancer. —Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

In its early stages, melanoma skin cancer is highly treatable, with a greater than 99 percent survival rate. —K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 2 May 2026

Mellencamp was first diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer — in 2022. —Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026

Like the vaccine that helped Blechner, Merck and Moderna’s melanoma treatment is personalized, meaning an individual patient’s tumor cells are used to engineer a highly specific immune response. —Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 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