| a combining form meaning “living substance,” “organelle,” “cell,” used in the formation of compound words: chloroplast; chromoplast; protoplast. |
| -plast suff. A small body, structure, particle, or granule, especially of living matter; cell: chloroplast. [From Greek plastos, molded, from plassein, to mold; see pelə-2 in Indo-European roots.] |
