hematoma

American  

[hee-ma-toh-muh, hem-uh-] / ˌhi mæˈtoʊ mə, ˌhɛm ə- /

noun

Pathology.

• hematomas,
  plural
• hematomata
  plural

1. a circumscribed collection of blood, usually clotted, in a tissue or organ, caused by a break in a blood vessel.

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hematoma Scientific  

/ hē′mə-tō′mə /

• hematomas
  plural

1. The abnormal buildup of blood in an organ or other tissue of the body, caused by a break in a blood vessel.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hematomas
  plural
• hematomata
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of hematoma

First recorded in 1840–50; hemat- + -oma

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Compare meaning

How does hematoma compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hematoma vs. blood clot

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hematoma hematomas

He was found dead in his bed at a residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, rented for his convalescence, following surgery for a subdural hematoma.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

The procedure does not eliminate her cancer risk entirely, and she said she dealt with complications, including a hematoma.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

In the early days after injury, a hematoma or bruise develops at the fracture site.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 3, 2026

“I think people can understand a torn rotator cuff,” Grace says, “but they can’t necessarily understand pelvic hematoma until they’ve had one.”

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2025

The breath-sounds on auscultation and the difficulty in swallowing led to the belief that one of the bronchi was blocked by the pressure of a hematoma.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Walter L. (Walter Lytle) Pyle

Initially, symptoms can include a runny nose, cough and fever, Yeganeh said, but they can progress to “violent, relentless coughing fits” that can disrupt sleep and cause rib fractures and hematomas in eyes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2024

Chicas ended up in the hospital, with an infection produced by hematomas, and his mother made him swear he would never alter his body to look like a man.

From Washington Times ● May 19, 2023

Acute subdural hematomas can be fatal half the time and even more often in older people.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 17, 2017

Emergency room doctors often use the word "egg" to describe hematomas to the head.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 30, 2010

Eighty-six percent of the deaths from brain injury in sports over a more than 50-year period through 1999 were due to subdural hematomas, researchers found.

From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2010

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