Dictionary.com

protoplasm

[ proh-tuh-plaz-uhm ]
/ ˈproʊ təˌplæz əm /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to protoplasm

frame, torso, beef, fat, meat, muscle, element, material, thing, anatomy, bod, build, chassis, embodiment, figure, form, makeup, shaft, shape, trunk

How to use protoplasm in a sentence

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

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.
FEEDBACK