plasma

American  

[plaz-muh] / ˈplæz mə /

Also plasm

noun

• plasmas
  plural

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 /

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• plasmas
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

plasma plasmas

Unlike water, blood is a complex mixture containing plasma, red blood cells, platelets, and other components.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

In this experiment, the laser produces a thin, concentrated channel of plasma known as a plasma filament.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026

Instead of physically extending or retracting a metal antenna, the idea was to adjust the laser to produce a plasma beam of the desired length.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026

To make it transmit radio waves, the team also needed a way to deliver an electrical signal to the plasma without relying on a conventional physical connection.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026

The two guys in front were carrying plasma welders.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

To avoid creating and managing radioactive waste, TAE wants to use a fuel that requires far hotter plasmas than other fusion companies aim for, posing a bigger physics challenge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026

The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory creates such plasmas by directing 192 powerful laser beams onto hydrogen-containing targets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025

In donut-shaped devices known as tokamaks -- sometimes referred to as "stars in jars" -- magnetic fields struggle to contain plasmas that reach above 100 million degrees Celsius, hotter than the center of the Sun.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 21, 2024

"Scientific ideas move like space plasmas," says David Malaspina, a space plasma physicist at University of Colorado, Boulder.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 16, 2024

One is to use plasmas instead of plates.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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