stoma
|sto-ma|
🇺🇸
/ˈstoʊmə/
🇬🇧
/ˈstəʊmə/
mouth-like opening
Etymology
'stoma' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'stóma' (στόμα), where 'stóma' meant 'mouth'.
'stoma' passed into New Latin as 'stoma' and was adopted into scientific English (from the 19th century onward) to refer to mouthlike openings in plants and medicine.
Initially, it meant 'mouth' in Greek, but over time it evolved to mean a 'mouth-like opening' used in botanical and medical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a minute pore in the epidermis of a leaf or stem that allows gas exchange (carbon dioxide in, oxygen and water vapor out) — commonly called a pore on plant leaves.
When the air is dry, the plant may close its stoma to reduce water loss.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a surgically created opening on the surface of the body that connects an internal organ to the outside (e.g., a colostomy stoma).
After the operation, the patient had a temporary stoma to allow feces to bypass the healing bowel.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/21 11:04