# plasmid

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈplæzmɪd/ · frequency rank #42,823

## Definitions
1. A loop of double-stranded DNA that is separate from — and replicates independently of — the chromosomes; such loops are most commonly found in bacteria, but they are also sometimes found in archaeans and eukaryotic cells, and they are used in genetic engineering as a vector for gene transfer.

## Etymology
From plasma + -id, coined by American molecular biologist Joshua Lederberg in 1952.

## Easily confused with
- **plastic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plasmid-vs-plastic)
- **plaid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plasmid)
- **plasma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plasma-vs-plasmid)
- **placid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/placid-vs-plasmid)

## Common misspellings (11)
`lpasmid`, `palsmid`, `plamsid`, `plasimd`, `plasmdi`, `plasmidd`, `plasmmid`, `plassmid`, `pllasmid`, `plsamid`, `pplasmid`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/plasmid