plasma jet

noun

: a stream of very hot ionized plasma
also : a device for producing such a stream

Examples of plasma jet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Now researchers have created a prototype thruster capable of generating plasma jets with propulsive forces comparable to those from conventional jet engines, using only air and electricity. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023 Jet planes may one day fly without fossil fuels by using plasma jets, new research from scientists in China suggests. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023 These near-parallel strands seemed to be connecting the swirling lobes at the ends of the galaxy’s two plasma jets to each other. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2020 For over a century, astronomers have puzzled over solar spicules, the millions of plasma jets that cover the sun’s surface like whiskers. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 15 Nov. 2019 These guns are designed to shoot plasma jets of ionized gas into the chamber, targeting, compressing, and heating a cloud of fusion fuel inside. Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 24 Oct. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plasma jet was in 1957

Dictionary Entries Near plasma jet

Cite this Entry

“Plasma jet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plasma%20jet. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on plasma jet

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!