plasman.

Etymology: < classical Latin plasma affected modulation of the voice, in post-classical Latin also creature (3rd cent.), poetic fiction (4th cent.) and its etymon ancient Greek πλάσμα anything formed or moulded, image, figure < πλάσσειν to form, mould (see plastic n.) + -μα (see -oma comb. form). In sense 1 probably after Spanish†plasma de esmeraldas (1569 in the passage translated in quot. 1577 at sense 1; earlier as †plasma , †piedra plasma , †plasma de esmeralda (all mid 16th cent. or earlier in this sense): see note below). In sense 3a apparently after German Plasma ( C. H. Schultz System der Circulation (1836) 7; compare French plasma (1845 in this sense, also as plasme ), Italian plasma (1865 in this sense)). Compare plasm n.In plural form plasmata after the Greek and Latin plural forms. In sense 1 Spanish †plasma is probably after Italian plasma (a1522 in this sense; compare post-classical Latin plasma (1365 in an Italian source), French plasma (1637 or earlier in this sense, also 1752 in Trévoux in form †plasme )), which is probably ultimately an alteration of a form in -r- (compare Italian prasma (a1530) and Old French, Middle French prasme (12th cent., subsequently 1416 in an apparently isolated attestation), which in turn probably ultimately shows a quite independent word: see Französisches etymol. Wörterbuch at prasius. Sense 5 (and perhaps ultimately sense 3 also) may originate in a sense ‘formative medium, matrix’, apparent in quot. 1856 at sense 5: compare plasm n. 1a.