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

More severe geomagnetic storms have the potential to impact critical infrastructure, including GPS and electric power transmission, and are caused by solar coronal mass ejections, an eruption of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s surface. —Ty Roush, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Between the lines: Coronal mass ejections are large bursts of plasma from the Sun that cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth. —Kelly Tyko, Axios, 10 Oct. 2024

These types of solar storms occur when eruptions from the sun, known as coronal mass ejections, hurl giant clouds of plasma into space. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 10 Oct. 2024

But when the super hot plasma that's held inside these reactors bumps into walls lined in tungsten, some of the metal's atoms pop off and join the plasma. —Michael Franco, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2024

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

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