colloid

col·loid

noun \ˈkäl-ˌȯid\

Definition of COLLOID

1

: a gelatinous or mucinous substance found in tissues in disease or normally (as in the thyroid)

2

a : a substance consisting of particles that are dispersed throughout another substance and are too small for resolution with an ordinary light microscope but are incapable of passing through a semipermeable membrane b : a mixture (as smoke) consisting of a colloid together with the medium in which it is dispersed

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

—col·loi·dal·ly \-^əl-ē\ adverb