plasma
/ˈplæzmə/ noun, verb
Forms plasmas plasmata plasmaing plasmaed
- noun (physics) A state of matter consisting of partially ionized gas and electrons. “plasma arc cutter”
- noun (hematology) A clear component of blood or lymph containing fibrin. “blood plasma”
- noun (mineralogy) A variety of green quartz, used in ancient times for making engraved ornaments.
- noun (medicine, dated) A mixture of starch and glycerin, used as a substitute for ointments.
- noun (biology, archaic) Protoplasm.
- noun (computer graphics, demoscene) A visual effect in which cycles of changing colours are warped in various ways to give the illusion of liquid organic movement.
- verb (science fiction, transitive) To transform something into plasma.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Late Latin plasma (“mold”), from Ancient Greek πλάσμα (plásma, “something formed”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A variety of quartz, of a color between grass green and leek green, which is found associated with common chalcedony. It was much esteemed by the ancients for making engraved ornaments.
- noun The viscous material of an animal or vegetable cell, out of which the various tissues are formed by a process of differentiation; protoplasm.
Etymology [See Plasm.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “plasma”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details