melanoma

American  

[mel-uh-noh-muh] / ˌmɛl əˈnoʊ mə /

noun

plural

melanomas, melanomata

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 /

plural

melanomas

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.

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

Anna Pavlick, a doctor at New York’s Weill Cornell Medicine who has researched melanoma for 25 years, treated patients in the trial.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Additional experiments in mice and human melanoma cell lines confirmed that this protein drives both blood vessel growth and immune system evasion.

From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026

They were given the RP1 oncolytic virus therapy, in addition to an anti-PD-1 immunotherapy that is a first-line melanoma treatment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

In 2023, he told the BBC a mole discovered by his barber during a haircut after a lockdown restriction was found to be malignant melanoma.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Great-grandmother took him home from hospital, raised him in projects in Oakland, California, until she died of melanoma when Rondell was six.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña