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.

---

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

---

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.

---

melanoma Cultural  

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

---

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

In 2023 he was awarded a knighthood in recognition of his campaigning work around acquired brain injury and melanoma - a type of skin cancer.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Now, the same Nobel Prize winning technology is being adapted to fight cancer, with experimental mRNA vaccines already being tested against melanoma, small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, and several other cancers.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

The discovery could reshape how researchers understand melanoma and may point to new treatment strategies.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 1, 2026

Analysts anticipate Moderna’s pipeline to expand significantly, with Phase III melanoma data in late 2026 as a major catalyst.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 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

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

While this is still a significant proportion of melanomas, there are likely other factors that contribute to telomere maintenance in this cancer.

From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2022

He looked at human cells from breast cancers, colon cancers and melanomas and saw the same phenomenon.

From New York Times ● Sep. 29, 2022

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

From Time Magazine Archive