Meaning
A gangrenous disease of humans leading to tissue destruction of the face, especially the mouth and cheek.
Etymology
Origin: Latin
Borrowed from New Latin noma from Latin nomē from Ancient Greek νομή (nomḗ, “spreading (of sores)”) from νέμω (némō, “feed, devour, spread (of sores)”).
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
cariesgangrenemortificationnecrosisslough
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.