coma
gb/kˈoʊmə/ us/kˈoʊmə/
B2
English
kóma, kómahiba, szőrüstök, üstök
NOUN
B2
1
kóma
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is in a coma; [someone] falls/goes/slips into a coma; [someone] comes out of a coma
After the accident, she was in a coma for two weeks.
A baleset után két hétig kómában volt.
Doctors said he slipped into a coma overnight.
Az orvosok szerint az éjszaka folyamán kómába esett.
He began to wake up slowly and eventually came out of the coma.
Learner examples
My uncle is in a coma.
A nagybátyám kómában van.
She came out of a coma last week.
Múlt héten magához tért a kómából.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse coma (a medical condition) with comma (punctuation).
Meaning
deep unconscious medical state
Collocations
be in a coma
|fall into a coma
|slip into a coma
|go into a coma
|come out of a coma
|recover from a coma
|in a deep coma
|coma patient
|coma induced by [something]
|put [someone] into a coma
Synonyms
unconsciousness (A broader term; not always as prolonged or severe as a coma.)
|
stupor (Often implies reduced awareness; may be less severe than a coma.)
Antonyms
consciousness (The state of being awake and aware.)
|
alertness (Being fully awake and responsive.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|emergencies
Definition
a long time of being unconscious because of illness or injury
A prolonged state of deep unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened and does not respond normally to pain, light, or sound.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
2
kóma
C2
Usage pattern:
the coma of a comet; [something] forms a coma
The telescope revealed a bright coma surrounding the comet’s nucleus.
A távcső egy fényes kómát mutatott az üstökös magja körül.
As the comet neared the Sun, its coma expanded and the tail became visible.
Ahogy az üstökös közeledett a Naphoz, a kómája kitágult, és láthatóvá vált a csóvája.
Astronomers measured changes in the coma over several nights.
Learner examples
The comet has a coma and a tail.
Az üstökösnek kómája és csóvája van.
Common mistake:
This is pronounced the same as medical coma but has a different meaning in astronomy.
Meaning
gas and dust around comet
Collocations
a comet's coma
|gas coma
|dust coma
|the coma and tail
|a bright coma
|a diffuse coma
|coma size
|coma expands
|coma forms
|coma surrounding the nucleus
Synonyms
envelope (General word for a surrounding layer; less specific than coma.)
|
cloud (Describes appearance; not a technical astronomy term in this use.)
Themes
space
|astronomy
|science
Definition
the cloudy part around a comet’s center
A cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the nucleus of a comet, forming its hazy head when the comet approaches the Sun.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
coma in [a lens/telescope]; reduce/correct coma
The wide-angle lens showed noticeable coma around the streetlights near the frame edges.
A nagylátószögű objektívnél a kép szélein lévő utcai lámpák körül jól látható kómahiba jelent meg.
Astrophotographers use a coma corrector to keep stars sharp across the image.
Az asztrofotósok kómakorrektort használnak, hogy a csillagok a kép egész területén élesek maradjanak.
Stopping down the aperture can reduce coma in some lenses.
Common mistake:
Not related to the medical meaning; used mainly in optics and photography.
Meaning
optical blur off-center points
Collocations
optical coma
|lens coma
|coma aberration
|edge coma
|reduce coma
|correct coma
|coma correction
|coma corrector
|coma visible near the edges
|stars show coma
Synonyms
aberration (General term; coma is one specific type of aberration.)
|
distortion (Broad term; does not specify the comet-like shape typical of coma.)
Antonyms
sharpness (The opposite effect in images: clear, undistorted detail.)
Themes
science
|technology
|photography
Definition
a lens problem that makes stars look stretched near the edges
An optical aberration in which points of light away from the center of the image appear distorted, often with a tail-like shape, especially near the edge of the field of view.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
a coma of hairs; seeds with a coma
Under the microscope, the seed had a fine coma of silky hairs.
Mikroszkóp alatt a magnak finom, selymes szőrüstöke volt.
The coma helps the seeds travel farther on the wind.
A szőrüstök segít, hogy a magok messzebbre jussanak a széllel.
Some species produce coma-bearing seeds that disperse easily.
Common mistake:
This is rare outside botany; many learners will never need it.
Meaning
tuft of hairs on seed
Collocations
a tufted coma
|a coma of hairs
|seed coma
|silky coma
|wind-dispersed seeds
|coma aids dispersal
|seeds with a coma
|coma-bearing seeds
Synonyms
tuft (Describes the shape; not a botanical term for this structure.)
|
seed hair (Plain description; less precise than coma in botany.)
Themes
nature
|plants
|science
Definition
soft hairs on a seed that help it fly
A tuft of silky hairs or similar structures on a seed that can help it disperse by wind.
Grammar
Dictionary form
coma
IPA
GB/kˈoʊmə/
US/kˈoʊmə/
Syllables & stress
coma (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (coma)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: coma
- Plural: coma, comae, comas
Word family
Forms
comae
noun
comas
noun
Core family
comatose
adjective
Expressions
coma patient
1/kˈoʊmə pˈeɪʃənt/
fixed phrase
person who is in coma
a person who is in a coma
Examples
- The nurses turned the coma patient regularly to prevent pressure sores.
- Family visits are limited for coma patients in the ICU.
- The hospital specializes in long-term care for coma patients.
come out of a coma
1/kˈʌm ˈaʊt əv ə kˈoʊmə/
fixed phrase
wake after long unconsciousness
to wake up after a coma
Examples
- She came out of a coma but didn’t recognize anyone at first.
- The doctors weren’t sure when—or if—he would come out of the coma.
- After ten days, he finally came out of a coma.
Learner examples
- He came out of a coma.
fall into a coma
1/fˈɔl ˈɪntu ə kˈoʊmə/
fixed phrase
suddenly become unconscious
to become unconscious for a long time
Examples
- She fell into a coma after a stroke.
- He fell into a coma and needed a ventilator.
- The report said he fell into a coma shortly after the crash.
Learner examples
- She fell into a coma.
go into a coma
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈɪntu ə kˈoʊmə/
fixed phrase
become deeply unconscious
to become unconscious for a long time
Examples
- He went into a coma after the severe head injury.
- The patient went into a coma before reaching the hospital.
- In rare cases, untreated infection can cause someone to go into a coma.
Learner examples
- He went into a coma.
in a coma
1/ˈɪn ə kˈoʊmə/
fixed phrase
unconscious for a long time
unconscious for a long time because of illness or injury
Examples
- He’s been in a coma since the surgery.
- Her family stayed by her bedside while she was in a coma.
- The doctors said she might remain in a coma for several days.
Learner examples
- She is in a coma.
induced coma
1/ɪndˈust kˈoʊmə/
fixed phrase
technical
coma created by doctors
a coma doctors create using medicine
Examples
- Doctors placed him in an induced coma to reduce brain swelling.
- She was kept in an induced coma for three days after the operation.
- An induced coma requires constant monitoring in intensive care.
slip into a coma
1/slˈɪp ˈɪntu ə kˈoʊmə/
fixed phrase
gradually become unconscious
to slowly become unconscious for a long time
Examples
- Over the next hour, he slipped into a coma.
- Doctors monitored her closely as she slipped into a coma.
- Without treatment, the condition can cause patients to slip into a coma.
Learner examples
- He slipped into a coma.