coma

/ˈkoʊmə/

/ˈkʌʊmə/

Other forms: comas; comae

Medically speaking, a coma is the state of protective deep sleep your body goes into when severely injured, as in a car crash. Daytime soap operas would be lost without a good coma every few weeks.

Coma comes from the Greek koma meaning "deep sleep." As with so many words with medical or scientific origins, coma has been appropriated for a far wider range of uses. The zombie-like trance you fall into at family get-togethers like Thanksgiving? That too is a coma, though your chances of recovery are far better than from a real coma. Unless you happen to sit next to Aunt Sadie.

Definitions of coma

1. noun

   a state of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness; usually the result of disease or injury
   synonyms: comatoseness

   types:

   Kussmaul's coma, diabetic coma

   coma that can develop in inadequately treated cases of diabetes mellitus

   hepatic coma

   coma that can occur in severe cases of liver disease

   type of:

   unconsciousness

   a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment
2. noun

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

   cloud

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

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

   tuft, tussock

   a bunch of hair or feathers or growing grass