-oma

See also: oma, Oma, OMA, omã, Omã, and omā

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek -ωμα (-ōma), thematic vowel -ο- (-o-) + -μα (-ma) (from Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥), which lengthens a preceding vowel.

Suffix

-oma (plural -omata or -omas)

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

   Synonyms: -cele, -coele

Usage notes

• For most nouns formed with -oma, the plural in -omas is more common, because the suffix has been naturalized into English, but the plural in -omata is often preferred by people who believe that the Greek inflection needs to be retained.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -oma

Translations

suffix forming nouns indicating disease or morbidity

• Dutch: -oom (nl)
• Finnish: -ooma
• French: -ome (fr) m
• Irish: -óma m
• Latin: -ōma n (Contemporary Latin)

suffix forming nouns indicating tumors or masses

• Catalan: -oma (ca) m
• Dutch: -oom (nl)
• Finnish: -ooma
• French: -ome (fr) m
• Irish: -óma m
• Latin: -ōma n (Contemporary Latin)
• Portuguese: -oma (pt) m
• Spanish: -oma (es)

Anagrams

• Amo, Amo., MAO, MOA, Mao, mao, moa

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek -ωμα (-ōma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔ.ma/
• Rhymes: -ɔma
• Hyphenation: -ò‧ma

Suffix

-oma m

1. (pathology) -oma (forms the names of tumours or masses)

Derived terms

Italian terms suffixed with -oma

Anagrams

• amo, amò, moa

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek -ωμα (-ōma).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈõ.mɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈõ.mɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈo.ma/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈo.mɐ/

Suffix

-oma m (noun-forming suffix, plural -omas)

1. (pathology) -oma (forms the names of tumours or masses)

   ‎linfo- (“lympho”) + ‎-oma → ‎linfoma (“lymphoma”)

2. (chiefly biology) -ome (forms the names of masses or sets)

   ‎bio- (“bio-”) + ‎-oma → ‎bioma (“biome”)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek -ωμα (-ōma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈoma/ [ˈo.ma]
• Rhymes: -oma
• Syllabification: -o‧ma

Suffix

-oma m (noun-forming suffix, plural -omas)

1. (pathology) -oma (forms the names of tumours or masses)

Derived terms

Spanish terms suffixed with -oma

Further reading

• “-oma”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014