melanoma

American  

[mel-uh-noh-muh] / ˌmɛl əˈnoʊ mə /

noun

• melanomas,
  plural
• melanomata
  plural

1. any of several types of skin tumors characterized by the malignant growth of melanocytes.

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melanoma British  

/ ˌmɛləˈnəʊmə /

noun

1. pathol a malignant tumour composed of melanocytes, occurring esp in the skin, often as a result of excessive exposure to sunlight

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melanoma Scientific  

/ mĕl′ə-nō′mə /

• melanomas
  plural

1. A dark-pigmented benign or malignant tumor that arises from a melanocyte and occurs most commonly in the skin. Malignant melanoma metastasizes quickly and is associated with sun exposure.

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melanoma Cultural  

1. A serious, often lethal, form of skin cancer.

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Discover More

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun (for example, by too much sunbathing) can cause this disease.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• melanomas
  plural
• melanomata
  plural

Etymology

Origin of melanoma

First recorded in 1825–35; melan- + -oma

Explanation

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. It's important to wear sunblock and protective clothing to protect your skin and prevent melanoma. Melanoma is used for the disease itself and also an individual tumor on the skin. A melanoma often starts as a mole that grows larger or becomes irregular in shape or color. Melanoma is dangerous and fast-spreading, so it's important for people to consult a doctor if they think they have a melanoma. The medical suffix -oma, often used for tumors or growths, is added to the Greek melas, "black."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

melanoma melanomas melanomata

Laboratory experiments with human melanoma, ovarian and prostate cancer cells supported that idea.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

When tested in mouse models of ovarian cancer and melanoma, a single dose of the engineered cells, known as AlloESO-T cells, controlled tumor growth and helped the animals survive longer without producing dangerous side effects.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

Weeks later, when Merck and Moderna reported positive late-stage melanoma results, Tempus stock surged 24%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

These included tumors derived from human melanoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

Yossarian also worried about Ewing’s tumor and melanoma.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

During that time, he began to notice a striking pattern: an unusually high number of women under age 50 who had experienced multiple melanomas and reported using tanning beds.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2025

"Most melanomas don't come from existing moles - so if you notice something new, get it checked," she adds.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2025

She has had benign tumors called paragangliomas in her neck and throat, thyroid cancer and two melanomas.

From New York Times ● May 4, 2023

A handful of drugs known as histone deacetylase inhibitors — basically regulating the histone messaging to genes — have been developed to treat melanomas, lymphoma and other blood-borne cancers.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2023

We examined DNA sequencing data from hundreds of melanomas, looking for mutations in genes related to telomere length.

From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2022

He found his moles, proved that the cancers were unsuspected melanomata.

From Time Magazine Archive