comma
nounverbattested in dialogue
- United States/[ˈkɑ.mə ~ ˈkɑ.mʌ]/
- Canada//ˈkɒmə//
- Australia//ˈkɔmə//
- //ˈkɔmɑ//
The punctuation mark ⟨,⟩ used to indicate a set of parts of a sentence or between elements of a list.
noun
- 1
The punctuation mark ⟨,⟩ used to indicate a set of parts of a sentence or between elements of a list.
- 2
A similar-looking subscript diacritical mark.
- 3
Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Polygonia, having a comma-shaped white mark on the underwings, especially Polygonia c-album and Polygonia c-aureum of North Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Commas (Polygonia comma) and Question Marks (Polygonia interrogationis) occur from the Gulf Coast to Canada and west to the Rockies. [...] Question Marks and Commas are handsome butterflies with burnt orange and black markings. [...] On the underside of each hind wing of the Comma is a small, distinctive silver hook that resembles a comma.
Other members of this genus that are frequently encountered in the park are the eastern comma (P. comma) and question mark (P. interrogationis).
- 4
A difference in the calculation of nearly identical intervals by different ways.
- 5
A delimiting marker between items in a genetic sequence.
- 6
In Ancient Greek rhetoric, a short clause, something less than a colon, originally denoted by comma marks. In antiquity it was defined as a combination of words having no more than eight syllables in all. It was later applied to longer phrases, e.g. the Johannine comma.
- 7
figurativeA brief interval.
Etymology
Etymology tree Ancient Greek κόπτω (kóptō) Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Hellenic *-mə Ancient Greek -μᾰ (-mă) Ancient Greek κόμμα (kómma) Latin commabor. English comma From Latin comma, from Ancient Greek κόμμα (kómma), from κόπτω (kóptō, “to cut”).
verb
- 1
rareTo place a comma or commas within text; to follow, precede, or surround a portion of text with commas.
Forms
- plural
- commas, commata, commaes
- past tense
- commaed, comma'd
- past participle
- commaed, comma'd
- present participle
- commaing
- third person singular
- commas
comma · The punctuation mark ⟨,⟩ used to indicate a set of parts of a sentence or between elements of a list.
command · An order to do something.commandant · A commanding officer, usually of a specific force or division.Commandant · Title for the officer in charge of a commando or district.