Meaning & use
plasma
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablemedical
The pale yellow liquid part of blood that carries cells, nutrients, and proteins.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or a plural: plasma carries nutrients.
Patterns
- blood plasma
- plasma contains something
- donate plasma
After the blood cells are removed, the remaining plasma is a clear, yellowish liquid.
Plasma carries nutrients, hormones, and waste products throughout the body.
Patients with certain conditions may need plasma transfusions.
noununcountablephysics
A very hot, ionized gas containing free electrons and ions, often called the fourth state of matter.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or a plural: plasma is the most common state of matter in the universe.
Patterns
- plasma is formed
- a plasma torch
- plasma physics
Inside a fluorescent light, electricity turns the gas into plasma, which gives off light.
The sun and other stars are made mostly of plasma.
Scientists study plasma to develop cleaner energy sources.
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
A type of screen technology used in some televisions and monitors, or a display using it.
Grammar: Can be countable ('a plasma') or uncountable ('on plasma'); often used before a noun: a plasma screen.
Patterns
- a plasma screen
- a plasma TV
- on plasma
They bought a large plasma for the living room.
Plasma screens were popular before LCD and OLED became common.
This old plasma still has a very good picture.
Word forms
| plural | plasmas |
|---|
Common combinations
- blood plasma
- Blood plasma makes up more than half of the volume of blood.
- plasma screen
- The plasma screen in the lobby displays news all day.
- plasma physics
- She studied plasma physics at university.
- donate plasma
- He donates plasma every month at the local clinic.
Synonyms and how they differ
- serum
- The clear liquid left after blood clots; plasma still contains clotting factors, serum does not.
- ionized gas
- A descriptive phrase for plasma in physics, but not the usual term.
Word family
- plasmatic adjective
- Relating to plasma, especially in biology.
- plasmapheresis noun
- A medical procedure that removes plasma from blood and returns the cells.
Commonly confused: plasma or serum?
plasma vs serum
Serum is the liquid left after blood has clotted; plasma is the liquid before clotting, still containing clotting proteins.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'plasma' correctly in a medical sense?
Choose one answer.
In medicine, plasma is the liquid part of blood, so checking plasma levels makes sense. The other options confuse plasma with a solid material or a bird.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plasma”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.