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

Former British Open champion Brian Harman ends his season with a heavy heart as a close family friend remains in a coma from a near drowning while trying to save the golfer's 6-year-old son. —CBS News, 21 Nov. 2024

Her husband, Marshall (Courtney B. Vance) isn’t the one in a coma. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2024

But bird flu can also cause swelling or irritation in the brain, spinal cord, or nerves, resulting in seizures, coma, or even death. —Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 10 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, 2 Nov. 2024

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

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