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 tissue2 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