protoplasm

[ proh-tuh-plaz-uh m ]

/ ˈproʊ təˌplæz əm /

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.

Nearby words

protopectin, protophilic, protophloem, protoplanet, protoplanetary disk, protoplasm, protoplasmic astrocyte, protoplast, protopodite, protopope, protoporphyria

Origin of protoplasm

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

Related forms

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for protoplasmic

The finger I saw was solid and material; what it drew after it was neither, or was in a nebulous, protoplasmic condition.
A Book of Ghosts|Sabine Baring-Gould
In all essential features these masses conform to the type of protoplasmic matter just described.
A Practical Physiology|Albert F. Blaisdell
He refers to the time before he knew her as his “protoplasmic state,” as indeed it was.
The Love Affairs of an Old Maid|Lilian Bell
It was an amoeba, another of those single-celled, protoplasmic mounds of flesh.
Astounding Stories, April, 1931|Various

This very curious organism consists of a net-work of protoplasmic threads, which spread over decaying leaves and stems.
The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, October 1879|Various

British Dictionary definitions for protoplasmic

protoplasm

/ (ˈprəʊtəˌplæzəm) /

noun

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

Derived Forms

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

Medicine definitions for protoplasmic

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.

Related forms

pro′to•plas′mic (-plăz′mĭk) adj.

Science definitions for protoplasmic

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.

Culture definitions for protoplasmic

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.