ectoplasm

ectoplasm
ectoplasmic, ectoplasmatic /ek'teuh plaz mat"ik/, adj.
/ek"teuh plaz'euhm/, n.
1. Biol. the outer portion of the cytoplasm of a cell. Cf. endoplasm.
2. Spiritualism. the supposed emanation from the body of a medium.
[1880-85; ECTO- + -PLASM]

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      in occultism, a mysterious, usually light-coloured, viscous substance that is said to exude from the body of a spiritualist medium in trance and may then take the shape of a face, a hand, or a complete body. It is normally visible only in the darkened atmosphere of a séance (q.v.). Ectoplasm is said to be the substance involved in the materialization of spiritual bodies, and the levitation of material objects is commonly explained by the gradual buildup of columns of ectoplasm underneath the objects. At the end of a séance the ectoplasm disappears, allegedly by returning to the medium's body.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Ectoplasm — generally refers to the outer part of a cell s cytoplasm.Ectoplasm may also refer to: * Ectoplasm (paranormal), a physical substance that supposedly manifests as a result of spiritual energy or psychic phenomenon * Ectoplasm (radio show), a BBC… …   Wikipedia

  • Ectoplasm — Ec to*plasm, n. [Ecto + Gr. ? form.] (Biol.) (a) The outer transparent layer of protoplasm in a developing ovum. (b) The outer hyaline layer of protoplasm in a vegetable cell. (c) The ectosarc of protozoan. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ectoplasm — 1883, of amoebas, 1901, of spirits, from ECTO (Cf. ecto ) + plasm (see PLASMA (Cf. plasma)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • ectoplasm — ► NOUN ▪ a viscous substance that supposedly exudes from the body of a medium during a spiritualistic trance and forms the material for the manifestation of spirits. DERIVATIVES ectoplasmic adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • ectoplasm — [ek′tō plaz΄əm, ek′təplaz΄əm] n. [ ECTO + PLASM] 1. the outer layer of the cytoplasm of a cell: distinguished from ENDOPLASM 2. the luminous, vaporous substance believed by spiritualists to emanate from a medium in a trance ectoplasmic adj …   English World dictionary

  • ectoplasm —    Also known as ectoplasmic substance. The term ectoplasm comes from the Greek words ektos (exterior, from the outside) and plasma (something formed or moulded). It was introduced in or shortly before 1894 by the French physiologist and Nobel… …   Dictionary of Hallucinations

  • Ectoplasm (paranormal) — Infobox Paranormalterms |250px Image Caption = A photograph allegedly showing ectoplasm Usage = Terminology Name = Ectoplasm Origin = Charles Richet (1923) Short = Additional Names = Definition = An unidentified substance said to be excreted by… …   Wikipedia

  • Ectoplasm (radio show) — Infobox Radio Show show name = Ectoplasm imagesize = caption = other names = format = Situation comedy runtime = 30 minutes country = flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom language = English home station = BBC Radio 4 syndicates = television =… …   Wikipedia

  • ectoplasm — noun Date: 1883 1. the outer relatively rigid granule free layer of the cytoplasm usually held to be a gel reversibly convertible to a sol 2. a substance held to produce spirit materialization and telekinesis • ectoplasmic adj …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ectoplasm — n. [Gr. ektos, outside; plasma, to form or mold] An external or cortical layer of protoplasm in a cell; see endoplasm …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

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