plasma

noun

plas·​ma ˈplaz-mə 

1

: a green faintly translucent quartz

2

[New Latin, from Late Latin]

a

: the fluid part of blood, lymph, or milk as distinguished from suspended material

especially : blood plasma

b

: the juice that can be expressed from muscle

3

: protoplasm

4

: a collection of charged particles (as in the atmospheres of stars or in a metal) containing about equal numbers of positive ions and electrons and exhibiting some properties of a gas but differing from a gas in being a good conductor of electricity and in being affected by a magnetic field

5

: a display (such as a television screen) consisting of discrete cells of plasma sandwiched between two layers of glass and electrodes such that each cell emits light when it receives an electric current

plasmatic

plaz-ˈma-tik 

adjective

Examples of plasma in a Sentence

the plasma that makes up a star

Our new TV is a 50-inch plasma.

Recent Examples on the Web

The semicircle portals look like tunnels with plasma screens overhead that visually reinforce the theme of each land. —Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 13 May 2025

On colliding with the plasma, the beam particles are re-ionized, while the collision energy heats the plasma. —David Szondy may 10, New Atlas, 10 May 2025

During high-energy collisions of lead nuclei at the LHC, scientists can momentarily recreate quark–gluon plasma, a state of matter that existed just millionths of a second after the Big Bang. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025

Filaments are cooler, dense ribbons of solar plasma that can hang suspended above the sun's surface by magnetic fields, according to NOAA. —Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

German, from Late Latin, something molded, from Greek, from plassein to mold — more at plaster

First Known Use

1517, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing plasma

• blood plasma
• convalescent plasma
• plasma cell
• plasma jet
• plasma membrane
• plasma torch

Rhymes for plasma

• asthma
• chiasma
• miasma
• histoplasma
• mycoplasma
• toxoplasma

Kids Definition

plasma

noun

plas·​ma ˈplaz-mə 

1

: the watery part of blood, lymph, or milk

2

: a collection of charged particles that shows some characteristics of a gas but that differs from a gas in being a good conductor of electricity and in being affected by a magnetic field

Medical Definition

plasma

noun

plas·​ma ˈplaz-mə 

1

a

: the fluid part especially of blood, lymph, or milk that is distinguished from suspended material see blood plasma

b

: the juice that can be expressed from muscle

2

: protoplasm

3

: a mixture of starch and gel used as an ointment base