Main Entry: col·loid

Pronunciation: \ˈkä-ˌlȯid\

Function: noun

Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary coll- + -oid

Date: circa 1852

1 : a gelatinous or mucinous substance found normally in the thyroid and also in diseased tissue
2 a : a substance that consists of particles dispersed throughout another substance which are too small for resolution with an ordinary light microscope but are incapable of passing through a semipermeable membrane b : a mixture consisting of a colloid together with the medium in which it is dispersed <smoke is a colloid>

— col·loi·dal \kə-ˈlȯi-d^əl, kä-\ adjective

— col·loi·dal·ly adverb