Library / English Dictionary

COMA

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: comae   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A state of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness; usually the result of disease or injury

Synonyms:

coma; comatoseness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("coma" is a kind of...):

unconsciousness (a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "coma"):

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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(astronomy) the luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms as the comet approaches the sun and is warmed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("coma" is a kind of...):

cloud (any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible)

Domain category:

astronomy; uranology (the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole)

Holonyms ("coma" is a part of...):

comet ((astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(botany) a usually terminal tuft of bracts (as in the pineapple) or tuft of hairs (especially on certain seeds)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("coma" is a kind of...):

tuft; tussock (a bunch of hair or feathers or growing grass)

Domain category:

botany; phytology (the branch of biology that studies plants)

Derivation:

comal (of certain seeds (such as cotton) having a tuft or tufts of hair)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Symptoms range from mild (impaired judgment, memory loss, impaired motor coordination) to severe (seizures and coma).

(Hypoxia, NCI Thesaurus)

Signs and symptoms vary from very mild to life threatening and include vomiting, seizures, lethargy, and coma.

(Isovaleric Acidemia, NCI Thesaurus)

The team measured the levels of nine gases released from the icy nucleus into the comet’s thin atmosphere, or coma.

(NASA Telescope Studies Quirky Comet 45P, NASA)

It may lead to coma and death.

(Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, NCI Thesaurus)

Instead, it was related to how much water was released from ice grains in the comet's coma compared to directly from the snowy surface.

(Comet Provides New Clues to Origins of Earth's Oceans, NASA)

Though self-limited and with light symptoms, patients often show a more severe state: Some enter into a coma or must spend more time hospitalized.

(Zika virus found to harm adults’ memory and motor system, Agência Brasil/EBC)

The infection may lead to coma and death.

(African Trypanosomiasis, NCI Thesaurus)

Usually, when comets are warmed by the Sun they eject dust and gas, which form a cloud of material — called a coma — around them, as well as the characteristic tail.

(ESO’s VLT Sees `Oumuamua Getting a Boost, ESO)

A coma may be caused by many things, including trauma, drugs, toxins, or certain diseases.

(Coma, NCI Dictionary)

Signs and symptoms may be exacerbated during fasting and include hypoketotic hypoglycemia, increased levels of carnitine in the blood, hepatomegaly, seizures, and coma.

(Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase I Deficiency, NCI Thesaurus)