coma1
/ˈkəʊmə
/noun
1A prolonged state of deep unconsciousness, caused especially by severe injury or illness: she went into a coma...
- Conversely, the recovery of people from what we would call comas or deep sleep could be interpreted as an example of miraculous resurrection, perhaps accounting in part for the enduring popularity of saintly healing.
- He had been in a deep coma at the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability after suffering severe brain damage.
- The highest possible score is 15, and the lowest possible score is three, which indicates the most severe, deep coma.
Synonyms
unconsciousness, insensibility, stupor, oblivion, inertia;
blackout, collapse, torpor, trance;
Medicine persistent vegetative state, PVS
rare sopor
1.1 humorous A state of extreme lethargy or sleepiness: after the film I settled into a coma...
- He would fall asleep on the sofa, claiming food coma, proclaiming it to be a compliment.
- Ah yes, the food coma - the medical excuse to fall asleep on the couch.
- You don't want to be in a food coma after the meal for obvious reasons.
Origin
Mid 17th century: modern Latin, from Greek kōma 'deep sleep'; related to koitē 'bed' and keisthai 'lie down'.
Rhymes
coma2
/ˈkəʊmə/noun (plural comae /ˈkəʊmiː/)
1 Astronomy A diffuse cloud of gas and dust surrounding the nucleus of a comet.Rosetta's instruments will analyse the gases and dust grains in the coma that forms when the comet becomes active, as well as the interaction with the solar wind....
- As it approaches the Sun, heat causes ices in the nucleus to sublimate, creating a cloud of gas and dust known as the coma.
- The second explanation is that the X-rays are just solar X-rays scattered by the dust present in the coma.
1.1 [mass noun] Optics Aberration which causes the image of an off-axis point to be flared like a comet.These Seidel sums correspond to spherical aberration, coma, astigmatism, Petzval curvature and distortion....
- For the first time in optical design, aberration, diffraction and coma were described and understood.
- The light from the null corrector goes to the mirror under test, and the alignment consists of pointing the corrector so that the return image is free of coma.
Origin
Early 17th century (in botanical sense 'tuft of hairs on seed'): via Latin from Greek komē 'hair of the head'.