protoplasm
[ proh-tuh-plaz-uhm ]
/ ˈproʊ təˌplæz əm /
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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.
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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, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
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, adjectiveWord 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.