plasma

American  

[plaz-muh] / ˈplæz mə /

Also plasm

noun

1. Anatomy, Physiology. the liquid part of blood or lymph, as distinguished from the suspended elements.

2. Cell Biology. cytoplasm.

3. whey.

4. a green, faintly translucent chalcedony.

5. Physics. a highly ionized gas containing an approximately equal number of positive ions and electrons.

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plasma British  

/ ˈplæzmə, plæzˈmætɪk /

noun

1. the clear yellowish fluid portion of blood or lymph in which the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are suspended

2. short for blood plasma

3. a former name for protoplasm cytoplasm

4. physics

   1. a hot ionized material consisting of nuclei and electrons. It is sometimes regarded as a fourth state of matter and is the material present in the sun, most stars, and fusion reactors

   2. the ionized gas in an electric discharge or spark, containing positive ions and electrons and a small number of negative ions together with un-ionized material

5. a green slightly translucent variety of chalcedony, used as a gemstone

6. a less common term for whey

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plasma Scientific  

/ plăz′mə /

1. See blood plasma

2. Protoplasm or cytoplasm.

3. One of four main states of matter, similar to a gas, but consisting of positively charged ions with most or all of their detached electrons moving freely about. Plasmas are produced by very high temperatures, as in the Sun and other stars, and also by the ionization resulting from exposure to an electric current, as in a fluorescent light bulb or a neon sign.

4. See more at state of matter

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plasma ¹ Cultural  

1. The liquid part of blood or lymph. Blood plasma is mainly water; it also contains gas es, nutrients, and hormones. The red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are all suspended in the plasma of the blood.

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plasma ² Cultural  

1. A state of matter in which some or all of the electrons have been torn from their parent atoms. The negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions move independently.

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Discover More

Plasmas are usually associated with very high temperatures — most of the sun is a plasma, for example.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• plasmatic
  adjective
• plasmic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of plasma

First recorded in 1705–15; from Late Latin, from Greek plásma “formed, molded (thing),” akin to plássein “to form, mold”; see plastic

Explanation

Plasma is the colorless liquid part of blood. Plasma holds blood cells but is not made from them. Plasma, a crucial part of blood, can be donated for use in medical procedures, either from plasma donation or as part of a regular blood donation. Another meaning of plasma is in physical chemistry — a state of matter (in fact the most common state of matter) made from a gas that has lost its electrons from heat. This is where those big-screen plasma televisions get their name from.

Example Sentences

To investigate these processes, the team used a plasma flow reactor designed to mimic part of the environment inside a nuclear fireball.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

Specific combinations of materials were introduced into a high-temperature plasma, where they were vaporized.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

US heavy metal band Metallica have teamed up with the Welsh Blood Service ahead of their UK tour this summer, to encourage fans to donate blood and plasma.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

A joint European-Chinese spacecraft blasted into orbit Tuesday to investigate what happens when extreme winds and giant explosions of plasma shot out from the Sun slam into Earth's magnetic shield.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

“Don’t worry. At Garland there’s nowhere to plug in a plasma TV.”

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• beef
• fat
• meat
• muscle