1. a supernatural substance that supposedly emanates from the body of a medium during a séance
Usage: spiritualism
2. the outer portion of the cytoplasm in a cell
Usage: biology

Examples

• The medium claimed that ectoplasm was flowing from her mouth during the séance.
• Victorian spiritualists believed ectoplasm was proof of communication with the dead.
• Modern scientists dismiss ectoplasm as fraudulent material used to deceive audiences.
• In cell biology, the ectoplasm is the clear outer layer of cytoplasm.
• The ectoplasm contains fewer organelles than the inner endoplasm.
• Researchers studied the movement of particles within the cell’s ectoplasm.