1
: a state of profound unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison
2
: a state of mental or physical sluggishness : torpor
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
Examples of coma in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jason Jones, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
In the second stage, the parasites invade the brain and central nervous system, causing severe neurological problems including confusion, dramatic disruptions to sleep patterns and, in advanced cases, coma.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Vanessa Van Helsing wakes up from a coma to discover that a volcanic eruption has blotted out the sun, letting vampires prey 24/7.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Van Tine suffered a traumatic brain injury and spent four months in a coma.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coma
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
Odom survived a coma, as well as life-threatening surgery, and gives graphic detail in the documentary of what happened 11 years ago.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
In the second stage, the parasites invade the brain and central nervous system, causing severe neurological problems including confusion, dramatic disruptions to sleep patterns and, in advanced cases, coma.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Vanessa Van Helsing wakes up from a coma to discover that a volcanic eruption has blotted out the sun, letting vampires prey 24/7.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Van Tine suffered a traumatic brain injury and spent four months in a coma.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for coma
Cite this Entry
“Coma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coma. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
