colloid

noun

col·​loid ˈkä-ˌlȯid How to pronounce colloid (audio)
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 (see resolution sense 6a) 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
colloidal adjective
colloidally adverb

Examples of colloid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Shining a laser light through a gold colloid mixture produces the Faraday-Tyndall Effect. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Dec. 2023 Cheese starts as a colloid, or liquid medium with small particles equally dispersed within it. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 14 Oct. 2023 Samaras and her team use new technologies across colloid science, polymer chemistry, microbiome and sensory science for Unilever’s biggest brands. Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023 Thyroid nodules might be solid with little fluid or colloid. Julia Naftulin, Health, 24 Apr. 2023 Cocoa powder mixed in with your milk is a colloid—a type of mixture in which solid particles are dispersed throughout a fluid. Mai Nguyen, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2015 Ice cream is a colloid, or a solution that is comprised of two insoluble materials with one dispersed throughout the other. Ashton Yoon, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2017 The idea is to use a colloid of (at least) two types of nanoparticles (A and B) contained in a reservoir. Tom Coughlin, Forbes, 20 May 2022 In the colloidal memory system, shown below, liquid (e.g., water) can be used as the volumetric storage medium and dissolved nanoparticles (the colloid) as carriers of the data symbols. Tom Coughlin, Forbes, 20 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'colloid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary coll- + -oid

First Known Use

circa 1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of colloid was circa 1852

Dictionary Entries Near colloid

Cite this Entry

“Colloid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colloid. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

colloid

noun
col·​loid ˈkäl-ˌȯid How to pronounce colloid (audio)
: a very finely divided substance which is scattered throughout another substance
also : a mixture consisting of such a substance together with the substance in which it is scattered (as in smoke, gelatin, or marshmallow)
colloidal adjective

Medical Definition

colloid

noun
col·​loid ˈkäl-ˌȯid How to pronounce colloid (audio)
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
colloidal adjective
colloidally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on colloid

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