Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “plasmid” come from?

Plasmid comes from English plasma and the English suffix -oid, from Ancient Greek -ειδής meaning resembling, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weyd- meaning to see.

plasmid (English): A loop of double-stranded DNA that is separate...

Definitions

  1. A loop of double-stranded DNA that is separate...

Ancestry of “plasmid”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplasmaA state of matter consisting of partially ionized...
2Late Latinplasma—
3Ancient Greekπλάσμαsomething formed, figure, image; counterfeit,...
4Ancient GreekπλάσσωI form, mould, shape, sculpt; I form, train a...
5Proto-Hellenicpláťťō—
6Proto-Hellenicplátʰyō—

Words derived from “plasmid”

  • megaplasmid
  • plasmidic
  • miniplasmid
Every word from Proto-Hellenic plátʰyō →