PLASMA Definition & Meaning

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plasma

[ plaz-muh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Anatomy, Physiology. the liquid part of blood or lymph, as distinguished from the suspended elements.
Cell Biology. cytoplasm.
whey.
a green, faintly translucent chalcedony.
Physics. a highly ionized gas containing an approximately equal number of positive ions and electrons.

plasma

/ ˈplæz��ə; plæzˈmætɪk /

noun

the clear yellowish fluid portion of blood or lymph in which the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are suspended
short for blood plasma
a former name for protoplasm cytoplasm
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
a green slightly translucent variety of chalcedony, used as a gemstone
a less common term for whey

plasma

/ ��ă��′��ə /

See blood plasma
Protoplasm or cytoplasm.
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.
See more at state of matter

plasma

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.

plasma

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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Notes

Plasmas are usually associated with very high temperatures — most of the sun is a plasma, for example.

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Derived Forms

plasmatic, adjective

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

��·��·�� [plaz-, mat, -ik], ��m�� adjective

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of plasma¹

First recorded in 1705–15; from Late Latin, from Greek ��á�� “formed, molded (thing),” akin to ��á��𾱲� “to form, mold”; plastic

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of plasma¹

C18: from Late Latin: something moulded, from Greek, from plassein to mould

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She received more than 27 bags of fresh frozen plasma to help stabilise her.

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One of the world's most prolific blood donors - whose plasma saved the lives of more than 2 million babies - has died.

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In some scenes, the spirit is a poltergeist nuisance, spilling glasses and knocking down shelves; in others, it’s confoundingly trapped behind some sort of plasma screen.

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Throughout the decades, numerous observations of how dust, gas, and ripples in the cosmic microwave background, or the leftover radiation from the primordial plasma of the universe, moved indicated that dark matter exists.

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Inside a subzero freezer at a Northern California pet hospital sit rows of carefully labeled bags of fresh frozen plasma.

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