n.
Pronunciation: ' kä- ˌ lo ̇ id
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary coll- + -oid
Date: circa 1852
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 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 >
– col · loi · dal \ k ə - ' lo ̇ i-d ə l, kä- \ adjective
– col · loi · dal · ly adverb