Word
coma
Phoneticsco·ma
US/ˈkoʊmə/
UK/kˈəʊmɐ/
Definitions
01unconsciousness
n. a deep state of sleep-like unconsciousness that lasts for a long time, usually caused by a serious injury or illness.
n. a state of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness, typically resulting from severe trauma, disease, or intoxication.
“The driver remained in a coma for two weeks after the car accident.”
“Medical staff monitored his brain activity closely while he remained in a medically induced coma to allow his injuries to heal.”
Usage
Often used with the verbs 'fall into', 'go into', or 'be in'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02comet cloud
n. the glowing cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the center of a comet.
n. the nebulous envelope of gas and dust surrounding the nucleus of a comet, formed when the comet passes close to the sun.
“As the comet got closer to the sun, its coma became much brighter.”
“The spacecraft flew through the coma to collect dust samples, providing researchers with data on the chemical composition of the early solar system.”
Technical
Usage
Usually refers specifically to the head of the comet excluding the nucleus.
Teaching tip
This is a highly specialized term; students are unlikely to encounter it outside of astronomy texts.
03plant tuft
n. a bunch of hairs or leaves at the end of a seed or a branch.
n. a tuft of hairs on a seed, or a cluster of leaves or branches at the apex of a plant structure.
“The seeds of the plant are topped with a silky coma that helps them float in the wind.”
“The botanist identified the species by the distinct shape of the coma attached to the seeds.”
Technical
Usage
Used as a technical term in botanical descriptions.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“His father was in a coma; a few days later, he died.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κῶμα (kôma, “deep sleep”).
Learned borrowing from Latin coma (“hair of the head”), from Ancient Greek κόμη (kómē, “hair”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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Scan code
englishreference.com/q/coma