1.
[syn: plasma, plasm, blood plasma]
2. a green slightly translucent variety of chalcedony used as a gemstone;
3. (physical chemistry) a fourth state of matter distinct from solid or liquid or gas and present in stars and fusion reactors; a gas becomes a plasma when it is heated until the atoms lose all their electrons, leaving a highly electrified collection of nuclei and free electrons;
- Example: "particles in space exist in the form of a plasma"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Plasma \Plas"ma\, n. [See Plasm.]
1. (Min.) 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.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Biol.) The viscous material of an animal or vegetable
cell, out of which the various tissues are formed by a
process of differentiation; protoplasm.
[1913 Webster]
3. Unorganized material; elementary matter.
[1913 Webster]
4. (Med.) A mixture of starch and glycerin, used as a
substitute for ointments. --U. S. Disp.
[1913 Webster]
5. same as blood plasma.
[PJC]
6. (physics) a state of matter in which charged particles
such as electrons and atomi nuclei have sufficiently high
energy to move freely, rather than be bound in atoms as in
ordinary matter; it has some of the properties of a gas,
but is a conductor of electricity.
Note: In a typical plasma, the number of positive and
negative particles are approximately equal. Plasmas are
found naturally in the atmosphere of stars, and can be
created in special laboratory apparatus.
[PJC]
Blood plasma (Physiol.), the colorless fluid of the blood,
in which the red and white blood corpuscles are suspended.
It may be obtained by centrifuation of blood to remove the
blood cells. It is distinguished from serum in that
plasma still has the fibrin of blood, and may be clotted,
while in serum the fibrin has been removed.
Muscle plasma (Physiol.), the fundamental part of muscle
fibers, a thick, viscid, albuminous fluid contained within
the sarcolemma, which on the death of the muscle
coagulates to a semisolid mass.
[1913 Webster +PJC] Plasmatic
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
plasma
n 1: the colorless watery fluid of the blood and lymph that
contains no cells, but in which the blood cells
(erythrocytes, leukocytes, and thrombocytes) are suspended
[syn: plasma, plasm, blood plasma]
2: a green slightly translucent variety of chalcedony used as a
gemstone
3: (physical chemistry) a fourth state of matter distinct from
solid or liquid or gas and present in stars and fusion
reactors; a gas becomes a plasma when it is heated until the
atoms lose all their electrons, leaving a highly electrified
collection of nuclei and free electrons; "particles in space
exist in the form of a plasma"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
52 Moby Thesaurus words for "plasma":
Rh factor, Rh-negative, Rh-positive, Rh-type, Rhesus factor,
antibody, antigen, arterial blood, blood, blood bank, blood cell,
blood count, blood donor, blood donor center, blood group,
blood grouping, blood picture, blood platelet, blood pressure,
blood serum, blood substitute, bloodmobile, bloodstream,
circulation, clinical dextran, dextran, erythrocyte, globulin,
gore, grume, hematics, hematologist, hematology, hematoscope,
hematoscopy, hemocyte, hemoglobin, hemometer, humor, ichor,
isoantibody, leukocyte, lifeblood, neutrophil, opsonin, phagocyte,
plasma substitute, red corpuscle, serum, type O, venous blood,
white corpuscle
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):
PLASMA
PLAnner-like System Modelled on Actors. Carl Hewitt, 1975.
The first actor language. Originally called Planner-73, and
implemented in MacLisp. Lisp-like syntax, but with several
kinds of parentheses and brackets.
["A PLASMA Primer", B. Smith et al, AI Lab Working Paper 92,
MIT Oct 1975].
["Viewing Control Structures as Patterns of Passing Messages",
C. Hewitt, AI Lab Memo 410, MIT 1976].