"tumor containing melanin," 1826, medical Latin, from Greek melas (genitive melanos) "black" (see melano-) + -oma. Greek melanōma meant "blackness."
Entries linking to melanoma
melano-
word-forming element meaning "black," from Greek melano-, combining form of melas (genitive melanos) "black, dark, murky,"probably from a PIE root *melh-"black, of darkish color" (source also of Sanskrit malinah "dirty, stained, black," Lithuanian mėlynas"blue," Latin mulleus "reddish").
-oma
word-forming element, from Greek -oma, with -o-, lengthened stem vowel + -ma, suffix forming neuter nouns and nouns that indicate result of verbal action (equivalent of Latin -men); especially taken in medical use as "morbid growth, tumor," based on sarcoma, carcinoma.