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Definition of "comma" []

  • Grammar A punctuation mark ( , ) used to indicate a separation of ideas or of elements within the structure of a sentence. (noun)
  • A pause or separation; a caesura. (noun)
  • Any of several butterflies of the genus Polygonia, having wings with brownish coloring and irregularly notched edges. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "comma" in a sentence
  • "(_Grapta interrogationis_); comma (_Vanessa comma_), 153; orange; white (_Aphrodite_), 154; white cabbage (_Pontia oleracea_) 153."
  • "But whatever you call the comma, is it right or wrong?"
  • "But when in doubt, a comma is always tasteful and never out of style -- as long as one uses it correctly."