colloid
/ˈkɒlɔɪd/ adjective, noun
Forms colloids
- adjective Glue-like; gelatinous. “colloid tumours”
- noun (physical chemistry) A stable system of two phases, one of which is dispersed in the other in the form of very small droplets or particles.
- noun (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).
- noun (geology) A particle less than 1 micron in diameter, following the Wentworth scale
Antonyms
Etymology
From French colloïde, from Ancient Greek κόλλα (kólla, “glue”) + -oid.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Resembling glue or jelly; characterized by a jellylike appearance; gelatinous; as, colloid tumors.
- noun A substance (as albumin, gum, gelatin, etc.) which is of a gelatinous rather than a crystalline nature, and which diffuses itself through animal membranes or vegetable parchment more slowly than crystalloids do; --opposed to crystalloid.
- noun A gelatinous substance found in colloid degeneration and colloid cancer. Styptic colloid (Med.), a preparation of astringent and antiseptic substances with some colloid material, as collodion, for ready use.
Etymology [Gr. -oid. Cf. Collodion.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “colloid”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details