colloid

From French colloïde, from Ancient Greek κόλλα (kólla, “glue”) + -oid. Doublet of collage, collagen, and protocol.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɒlɔɪd/

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colloid (comparative more colloid, superlative most colloid)

1. Glue-like; gelatinous.

   colloid tumours

colloid (plural colloids)

1. (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.
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).
3. (geology) A particle less than 1 micron in diameter, following the Wentworth scale

• solid sol solid in solid
• sol solid in liquid
• aerosol solid or liquid in gas
• gel liquid in solid
• emulsion liquid in liquid
• foam gas in liquid or solid
• aerogel gas in solid