protoplasm

[ proh-tuh-plaz-uh m ]
/ ˈproʊ təˌplæz əm /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR protoplasm ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Biology. (no longer in technical use) the colloidal and liquid substance of which cells are formed, excluding horny, chitinous, and other structural material; the cytoplasm and nucleus.
Obsolete. the living matter of organisms regarded as the physical basis of life, having the ability to sense and conduct stimuli.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of protoplasm

From the New Latin word prōtoplasma, dating back to 1840–50. See proto-, -plasm

OTHER WORDS FROM protoplasm

pro·to·plas·mic, pro·to·plas·mal, pro·to·plas·mat·ic [proh-toh-plaz-mat-ik] /ˌproʊ toʊ plæzˈmæt ɪk/, adjectivein·ter·pro·to·plas·mic, adjective

Words nearby protoplasm

protopectin, protophilic, protophloem, protoplanet, protoplanetary disk, protoplasm, protoplasmic astrocyte, protoplast, protopodite, protopope, protoporphyria
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to protoplasm

thing, material, element, frame, carcass, torso, beef, muscle, meat, fat, body, individual, phenomenon, being, sum, object, entity, amount, stuff, quantity

Example sentences from the Web for protoplasm

British Dictionary definitions for protoplasm

protoplasm
/ (ˈprəʊtəˌplæzəm) /

noun

biology the living contents of a cell, differentiated into cytoplasm and nucleoplasm

Derived forms of protoplasm

protoplasmic, adjective

Word Origin for protoplasm

C19: from New Latin, from proto- + Greek plasma form
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for protoplasm

protoplasm
[ prō′tə-plăz′əm ]

n.

The complex, semifluid, translucent substance that constitutes the living matter of plant and animal cells and manifests the essential life functions of a cell. Composed of proteins, fats, and other molecules suspended in water, it includes the nucleus and cytoplasm.

Other words from protoplasm

pro′to•plas′mic (-plăz′mĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for protoplasm

protoplasm
[ prō′tə-plăz′əm ]

The semifluid, translucent substance that forms the living matter in all plant and animal cells. Composed of proteins, fats, and other substances suspended in water, it includes the cytoplasm and (in eukaryotes) the nucleus.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for protoplasm

protoplasm
[ (proh-tuh-plaz-uhm) ]

The jellylike material in a cell, both inside and outside the nucleus, where the chemical reactions that support life take place.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.