coma

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Related to coma: diabetic coma, Induced coma

coma

deep prolonged unconsciousness

Not to be confused with:

comma – punctuation mark (,) that indicates a pause in a sentence: A misplaced comma can convey a very different meaning.

co·ma¹

(kō′mə)

n. pl. co·mas

A state of deep, often prolonged unconsciousness, usually the result of injury, disease, or poison, in which an individual is incapable of sensing or responding to external stimuli and internal needs.

[Greek kōma, deep sleep.]

co·ma²

(kō′mə)

n. pl. co·mae (-mē)

1. Astronomy The nebulous luminescent cloud surrounding the nucleus of a comet and composed of material evaporated from the nucleus when the comet is near the perihelion of its orbit. The nucleus and coma together form the head of a comet.

2. Botany A usually terminal tuft or cluster, especially a tuft of hairs on a seed, as on a willow or milkweed seed.

3. Physics A diffuse, comet-shaped image of a point source of light or radiation caused by aberration in an optical system.

[Latin, hair, from Greek komē.]

co′mal adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

coma

(ˈkəʊmə)

n, pl -mas

(Pathology) a state of unconsciousness from which a person cannot be aroused, caused by injury to the head, rupture of cerebral blood vessels, narcotics, poisons, etc

[C17: from medical Latin, from Greek kōma heavy sleep; related to Greek koitē bed, perhaps to Middle Irish cuma grief]

coma

(ˈkəʊmə)

n, pl -mae (-miː)

1. (Astronomy) astronomy the luminous cloud surrounding the frozen solid nucleus in the head of a comet, formed by vaporization of part of the nucleus when the comet is close to the sun

2. (Botany) botany

a. a tuft of hairs attached to the seed coat of some seeds

b. the terminal crown of leaves of palms and moss stems

3. (General Physics) optics a type of lens defect characterized by the formation of a diffuse pear-shaped image from a point object

[C17: from Latin: hair of the head, from Greek komē]

ˈcomal adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

co•ma¹

(ˈkoʊ mə)

n., pl. -mas.

a state of prolonged unconsciousness, including a lack of response to stimuli, from which it is impossible to rouse a person.

[1640–50; < Greek kôma deep sleep]

co•ma²

(ˈkoʊ mə)

n., pl. -mae (-mē).

1. the nebulous envelope around the nucleus of a comet.

2. a monochromatic aberration of a lens or other optical system in which the image from a point source cannot be focused.

3. a tuft of hairs on a seed or a terminal cluster of leaves or bracts, as on a stem.

[1660–70; < Latin: hair < Greek kómē]

co·ma¹

(kō′mə)

A state of deep unconsciousness resulting from disease or injury, from which a person cannot be aroused. A person in a coma usually is unable to respond to events taking place outside the body.

coma²

The brightly shining cloud of gas that encircles the nucleus and makes up the major portion of the head of a comet that is near the sun.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	coma - a state of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness; usually the result of disease or injury comatoseness unconsciousness - a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment diabetic coma, Kussmaul's coma - coma that can develop in inadequately treated cases of diabetes mellitus hepatic coma - coma that can occur in severe cases of liver disease
	2.	coma - (botany) a usually terminal tuft of bracts (as in the pineapple) or tuft of hairs (especially on certain seeds) phytology, botany - the branch of biology that studies plants tuft, tussock - a bunch of hair or feathers or growing grass
	3.	coma - (astronomy) the luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms as the comet approaches the sun and is warmed astronomy, uranology - the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole comet - (astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit cloud - any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

coma

noun unconsciousness, trance, oblivion, lethargy, stupor, torpor, somnolence, insensibility She had slipped into a coma by the time she reached the hospital.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

Spanish / Español

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coma

[ˈkəʊmə] N → coma m
to be in a coma → estar en (estado de) coma

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

coma

(ˈkoumə) noun

a long-continuing unconscious state. He was in a coma for several days after the accident.coma

coma

→ coma

coma

n coma m

References in classic literature ?

It was not long before they were reduced to a coma of hunger.

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But Bassett's relapses grew more frequent, his brief convalescences less and less vigorous, his periods of coma longer, until he came to know, beyond the last promptings of the optimism inherent in so tremendous a constitution as his own, that he would never live to cross the grass lands, perforate the perilous coast jungle, and reach the sea.

There were breaks in this programme, when, in the comas of his devastating fever-attacks, he lay for days and nights in the house of heads.

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Wopsle's great-aunt fell into a state of coma; arising either from sleep or a rheumatic paroxysm.

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As he danced among his naked fellow savages, the firelight gleaming against his great, rolling muscles, the personification of physical perfection and strength, the woman who loved him lay thin and emaciated in the last coma that precedes death by thirst and starvation.

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So far as the evidence to hand can be trusted, this stimulative stage, which varies much in races and in individuals, is succeeded by a certain exaltation and mental lucidity--I seem to discern some signs of it in our young friend here--which, after an appreciable interval, turns to coma, deepening rapidly into death.

Sudden illness attended by coma attacked population this morning.

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Somebody was saying something about the coma of death.

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A constellation ( Coma Berenices ) named in honor of one who sacrificed her hair to save her husband.

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For sometime already Mr Verloc's immobility by the side of the arm- chair resembled a state of collapsed coma - a sort of passive insensibility interrupted by slight convulsive starts, such as may be observed in the domestic dog having a nightmare on the hearthrug.

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The attendant tells me that he was quiet until just before dawn, and that then he began to get uneasy, and at length violent, until at last he fell into a paroxysm which exhausted him so that he swooned into a sort of coma.

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The jeddak, Bar Comas, who was comparatively young, was the object of the fierce and jealous hatred of his old lieutenant, Dak Kova, the jed who had captured me, and I could not but note the almost studied efforts which the latter made to affront his superior.

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