coma

1 of 2

noun (1)

co·​ma ˈkō-mə How to pronounce coma (audio)
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 How to pronounce coma (audio)
-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 adjective

Examples of coma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Its coma is about 130,000 miles (209,000 kilometers) in diameter, and its tail extends around 18 million miles (29 million kilometers) into space. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 Serious side effects of low blood sugar include seizures, coma, irregular heart rates, heart attack, and death.9 Low blood sugar is an emergent situation and can often be treated by drinking or eating foods to raise your blood sugar. Kirstyn Hill, Pharmd, Mph, Health, 29 Oct. 2024 The little one’s middle name, Samantha, is a nod to Elliot's late mother, Samantha Berg, who entered a coma after suffering complications during childbirth. Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 3 Oct. 2024 Its coma is about 130,000 miles (209,000 kilometers) in diameter and its tail extends around 18 million miles (29 million kilometers) into space. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coma 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of coma was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near coma

Cite this Entry

“Coma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coma. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

coma

1 of 2 noun
co·​ma ˈkō-mə How to pronounce coma (audio)
: a sleeplike state of unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison

coma

2 of 2 noun
plural comae -ˌmē How to pronounce coma (audio)
-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 How to pronounce coma (audio)
: a state of profound unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison
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