Which of the following is the meaning of the suffix -oma?

• A. softening
• B. enlargement
• C. tumor
• D. inflammation

Answer: (C)

Suffix -oma signals a tumor or abnormal mass. It’s used to name neoplasms, such as lipoma (a fat tumor), glioma (a tumor of glial cells), and melanoma (a tumor of pigment-producing cells). This meaning centers on growth or mass formed by tissue proliferation, rather than inflammation or softening. In contrast, other suffixes have different meanings: -malacia means softening, -megaly means enlargement, and -itis means inflammation.