Skip to main content
Oxford English Dictionary
Advanced search
More informations
First published 1914; not fully revised

traumanoun

What does the noun trauma mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun trauma. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

trauma has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

pathology (late 1600s) psychoanalysis (1890s)

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

See meaning & use

How common is the noun trauma?

About 10occurrences per million words in modern written English
See frequency

How is the noun trauma pronounced?

British English

/ˈtrɔːmə/
TRAW-muh
/ˈtraʊmə/
TROW-muh

U.S. English

/ˈtrɔmə/
TRAW-muh
/ˈtrɑmə/
TRAH-muh
See pronunciation

Where does the noun trauma come from?

Earliest known use

late 1600s

The earliest known use of the noun trauma is in the late 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for trauma is from 1684, in S. Blankaart's Physical Dictionary.

trauma is a borrowing from Greek.

Etymons: Greek τραῦμα.

See etymology

Nearby entries

  1. trat, n.1894–
  2. tratt, n.1969–
  3. trattle, n.¹1513–97
  4. trattle | trottle, n.²1547–
  5. trattle, v.a1425–1800
  6. trattler, n.c1485–1670
  7. trattling, n.a1425–1603
  8. trattling, adj.?a1513–85
  9. trattoria, n.1832–
  10. traulism, n.1678–
  11. trauma, n.1684–
  12. traumatic, adj. & n.1656–
  13. traumaticin, n.1857–
  14. traumatism, n.1857–
  15. traumatize, v.1903–
  16. traumato-, comb. form
  17. traumatocace, n.1890–
  18. traumatocomium, n.1857–
  19. traumatol, n.1899–
  20. traumatologist, n.1935–
  21. traumatology, n.1899–
Browse more nearby entries