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colloid

noun
col·​loid | \ ˈkä-ËŒlȯid How to pronounce colloid (audio) \

Definition of colloid

1 : a gelatinous or mucinous substance found normally in the thyroid and also in diseased tissue
2a : 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
Other Words from colloid Example Sentences Learn More about colloid

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Other Words from colloid

colloidal \ kÉ™-​ˈlȯi-​dᵊl How to pronounce colloidal (audio) , kä-​ \ adjective
colloidally adverb

Examples of colloid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Following the incident, Hall was taken to a hospital, where doctors found a colloid cyst on his brain. — Nick Vadala, Philly.com, "6ABC's Gray Hall back on air after recovery from emergency brain surgery," 8 Jan. 2018 Cargo aboard the Space X Dragon resupply mission will include NASA Glenn Research Center experiments on colloids that are 1/100th the diameter of human hair. — Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com, "NASA Glenn experiments head to International Space Station," 15 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'colloid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of colloid

circa 1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for colloid

International Scientific Vocabulary coll- + -oid

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More Definitions for colloid

colloid

noun
col·​loid | \ ˈkäl-ˌȯid How to pronounce colloid (audio) \

Medical Definition of colloid

1 : a gelatinous or mucinous substance found in tissues in disease or normally (as in the thyroid)
2a : 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

Other Words from colloid

colloidal \ kÉ™-​ˈlȯid-​ᵊl, kä-​ How to pronounce colloidal (audio) \ adjective
colloidally \ -​ᵊl-​Ä“ How to pronounce colloidally (audio) \ adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on colloid

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with colloid

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about colloid

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