Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In pathology, a state of prolonged unconsciousness some what resembling sleep, from which the patient cannot be aroused, or can be aroused only partially, temporarily, and with difficulty; stupor.
- noun In botany: The leafy head of a tree, or a cluster of leaves terminating a stem, as the leafy top of a pineapple.
- noun The silky hairs at the end of some seeds, as of the willow-herb, Epilobium.
- noun In astronomy, the nebulous hair-like envelop surrounding the nucleus of a comet.
- noun In microscopy, the hazy fringe on the outline of a microscopic object seen when the lens is not free from spherical aberration.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A state of profound insensibility from which it is difficult or impossible to rouse a person. See
carus . - noun (Astron.) The envelope of a comet; a nebulous covering, which surrounds the nucleus or body of a comet.
- noun (Bot.) A tuft or bunch, -- as the assemblage of branches forming the head of a tree; or a cluster of bracts when empty and terminating the inflorescence of a plant; or a tuft of long hairs on certain seeds.
- noun (Astron.) a small constellation north of Virgo; -- called also
Berenice's Hair .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A state of
sleep from which one may not wake up, usually induced by some form oftrauma . - noun astronomy A
cloud ofdust surrounding thenucleus of acomet - noun optics A
defect characterized bydiffuse ,pear -shaped images that should bepoints - noun A
tuft orbunch , such as the assemblage of branches forming the head of a tree, a cluster ofbracts when empty and terminating theinflorescence of a plant, or a tuft of long hairs on certain seeds.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a state of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness; usually the result of disease or injury
- noun (botany) a usually terminal tuft of bracts (as in the pineapple) or tuft of hairs (especially on certain seeds)
- noun (astronomy) the luminous cloud of particles surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms as the comet approaches the sun and is warmed
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Second, a person in a coma is alive, but unconscious.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Arafat: If he is “brain-dead,” he is dead.– 2004
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Writing this book, though, allowed me to imagine what that dynamic might be like and by placing his sister in a coma from the very beginning I figured I'd be giving an eighteen-year-old boy the opportunity to be reflective about that relationship in a way he otherwise wouldn't have had.
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Claims POW, Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, 4 yrs + 4 more, CWO2, records sealed for 100 years, in coma 8 months, bamboo shoots under the nails, and NAVY SEAL and Frogman.
Heroes or Villains? 2010
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Who can find this 12 people, that did not watched TV on or after 9/11, did not read any newspapers, got internet cut off, were in coma?
Administration critics slam civilian trials for 9/11 suspects 2009
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They admirably address concerns about donation through the donating family – what if he came out of coma, is he really brain dead, second opinions.
Alynda Wheat's Beat Cop: 'Three Rivers' might need some CPR | EW.com 2009
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Were you in coma (my apologies if you were actually in a coma) during the gut-wrenching Senate Finance committee debate?
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Hojer J, Baehrendtz S, Matell G, Gustaffson L. Diagnostic utility of flumazenil in coma with suspected poisoning: a double blind, randomized controlled study.
Flumanazil 2010
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A coma is merely a state of unconsciousness; you can wake from a coma and be perfectly fine, other than presumably some muscle atrophy.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Much Easier to Fight Caricatures 2010
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Living Will Trustee and Executor, Fenris 'let them have coffee while in coma' Badwulf, is too busy to write this, because he falters in public service while serving his belly; feasting on moose and drinking beer.
Archive 2007-06-01 2007
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Respectfully, she who had a major turkey coma from a wonderful meal
ruzuzu commented on the word coma
I just got comate as a random word--I had no idea coma can also mean hairy.
June 10, 2015
slumry commented on the word coma
doggone it, what's that word that means one spelling of two different words, usually with different etymologies. . .that's what coma seems to be.
June 10, 2015
ruzuzu commented on the word coma
I know. I was trying to remember that, too. Is it just a false friend?
June 10, 2015
ruzuzu commented on the word coma
Or maybe a false cognate?
June 10, 2015
bilby commented on the word coma
Inserting a coma can make all the difference in a sentence. For example:
- vendingmachine is in a hurry.
+ vendingmachine is in a coma.
May 22, 2016
oroboros commented on the word coma
I've encountered a vendingmachine that certainly seemed not to be in a hurry and/or in a coma...but that eventually delivers the goods. And delicious goods they are....
May 23, 2016