English Reference

Word

plasma

Phoneticsplas·ma

US/ˈpɫæzmə/

UK/plˈæzmɐ/

Definitions

03green quartz

C2

n. a type of green stone used in the past for making jewelry and decorations.

n. a variety of leek-green chalcedony or quartz, historically used for engraved gems and ornaments.

“The museum displayed an ancient ring made of carved green plasma.”

“The collection included several exquisite intaglios carved from plasma, a material favoured by Roman lapidaries for its deep, translucent green hue.”

Archaic

Synonyms

chalcedonyquartz

04to turn into plasma

C2 · Science

v. to change something into the plasma state of matter.

v. to convert a substance into a plasma state, typically through intense heating or electromagnetic fields.

“The machine uses high energy to plasma the gas inside the chamber.”

“In the experimental reactor, the hydrogen fuel is heated until it begins to plasma, allowing for the study of high-energy particle interactions.”

Technical

Synonyms

ionize

Real-World Examples

“The extreme environment inside these devices, however, can damage materials that surround the superheated, electrically charged plasma where the nuclear fusion reaction takes place.”
Phys.org · 15 Aug 2026
“Scientists have discovered incredibly tiny plasma whirlpools swirling across the Sun’s surface, some just 20 kilometers wide.”
ScienceDaily · 8 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Late Latin plasma (“mold”), from Ancient Greek πλάσμα (plásma, “something formed”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domains

BiologyMedicinePhysics

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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English Reference