Blastomata

/blæsˈtoʊmətə/ noun

Definition

An alternative plural form of blastoma using the Greek '-ata' ending instead of the English '-s'.

Etymology

From Greek 'blasto-' plus '-oma', with the classical Greek plural '-ata' preserved in medical terminology, though '-mas' is becoming more common in modern English.

Kelly Says

Medical terminology creates this quirky situation where the same word can have two correct plurals—blastomas (English) or blastomata (Greek)—kind of like how you can say 'octopuses' or 'octopodes'.

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