Standard Lemma guide

stoma

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈstəʊmə/
  • US: /ˈstoʊmə/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊmə
  • CMU ARPABET: S T OW1 M AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One of the tiny pores in the epidermis of a leaf or stem through which gases and water vapor pass.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stomate

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A small opening in a membrane; a surgically constructed opening, especially one in the abdominal wall that permits the passage of waste after a colostomy or ileostomy; an artificial anus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences, surgery

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A mouthlike opening, such as the oral cavity of a nematode.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a mouth or mouthlike opening (especially one created by surgery on the surface of the body to create an opening to an internal organ)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: orifice, opening, porta

5

noun

Meaning 5

a minute epidermal pore in a leaf or stem through which gases and water vapor can pass

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stomate, pore

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: aperture

Narrower terms: germ pore, hydathode, water pore, water stoma, lenticel

History

Etymology

From New Latin stoma, from Ancient Greek στόμα (stóma, “mouth”).

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: estoma — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Chinese Cantonese: 氣孔 /气孔 (hei3 hong2) — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Chinese: 氣孔 /气孔 (khì-khóng) — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Chinese Mandarin: 氣孔 /气孔 (qìkǒng) — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Danish: spalteåbning — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Faroese: blaðop — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Finnish: ilmarako — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • French: stomate — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Icelandic: loftauga — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Māori: poare — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Norwegian Bokmål: spalteåpning — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Occitan: estoma — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Portuguese: estoma — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Russian: у́стьице (ústʹice) — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Spanish: estoma — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Swedish: klyvöppning — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Tagalog: kilitdahon — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Telugu: పత్రరంధ్రము (patrarandhramu) — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Thai: ปากใบ (bpàak-bai) — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Turkish: gözenek — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Vietnamese: khí khổng — botany: tiny pore in the epidermis of a leaf
  • Czech: stomie — small opening in a membrane
  • Finnish: avanne — small opening in a membrane
  • Hungarian: sztóma — small opening in a membrane
  • Māori: poare — small opening in a membrane
  • Norwegian Bokmål: spalteåpning — small opening in a membrane
  • Portuguese: estoma — small opening in a membrane
  • Turkish: gözenek — small opening in a membrane
  • Finnish: suuaukko — zoology: mouthlike opening
  • Finnish: avanne — artificial anus
  • Finnish: stooma — artificial anus