Colloid

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈkÉ’lɔɪd/

Origin

From French colloïde, from Ancient Greek κόλλα (kolla, "glue") + -oid.

Full definition of colloid

Adjective

1. Glue-like; gelatinous.colloid tumours

Noun

1. (chemistry) A stable system of two phases, one of which is dispersed in the other in the form of very small droplets or particles.
2. (meteorology) An intimate mixture of two substances one of which, called the dispersed phase (or colloid), is uniformly distributed in a finely divided state throughout the second substance, called the dispersion medium (or dispersing medium). The dispersion medium may be a gas, a liquid, or a solid, and the dispersed phase may also be any of these, with the exception that one does not speak of a colloidal system of one gas in another. A system of liquid or solid particles colloidally dispersed in a gas is called an aerosol. A system of solid substances or water-insoluble liquids colloidally dispersed in liquid water is called a hydrosol.
3. (geology) A particle less than 1 micron in diameter, following the Wentworth scale

Derived terms

• colloidal