ENGLISH
REFERENCE

plasma

n. C / U
C1 Advanced US //ˈpɫæzmə// UK //plˈæzmɐ// plas·ma Archaic

n. the clear, yellowish liquid part of your blood that carries cells and nutrients around your body. It can also mean a gas-like state of matter found in stars and lightning.

n. the pale yellow fluid component of blood in which corpuscles and platelets are suspended; also refers to an ionised gas consisting of positive ions and free electrons.


SIMPLE

The patient needs a plasma transfusion to help with their recovery.

CONTEXTUAL

Doctors often separate plasma from the rest of the blood to treat specific medical conditions or for research.

COMPLEX

In the field of astrophysics, plasma is considered the fourth state of matter, comprising the vast majority of the observable universe including the sun and other stars.

Synonyms
Origin

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

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the substance in general; countable when referring to specific types or samples in a laboratory context.

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