-oma

English dictionary entry

Meanings

suffix
  1. Forming nouns indicating disease or morbidity.
  2. Forming nouns indicating tumors or masses, which may be non-neoplastic or (more often) neoplastic, and (if the latter) either benign or malignant (cancerous); in accord with present-day understanding of histopathology, the suffix is now nonproductive for non-neoplastic senses.

Pronunciation

ō′mə /ˈəʊ.mə/ /ˈoʊ.mə/ /ˈəʉ.mə/ /ˈɐʉ.mə/ /ˈo.mə/ /ˈoː.mə/

Word forms

-oma -omata -omas

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-oyétider.? Ancient Greek -όω (-óō) Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Ancient Greek -μᾰ (-mă) Ancient Greek -ωμα (-ōma)der. English -oma From Ancient Greek -ωμα (-ōma), from verbs in -όω (-óō) + -μα (-ma) (from Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥), which lengthens a preceding vowel.

Synonyms

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