colloid

C3O1L1L1O1I1D2
/ˈkɒlɔɪd/

adjective

Glue-like; gelatinous.

“colloid tumours”

Opposite
noncolloidsolution
OriginFrench colloïde ← Ancient Greek εἶδος (eîdos) ← Proto-Hellenic *wéidos →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

adjectivecolloid (comparative more colloid, superlative most colloid)

comparative more colloid · superlative most colloid

  1. Glue-like; gelatinous.

    colloid tumours

nouncolloid (plural colloids)

plural colloids

  1. physicalchemistryA stable system of two phases, one of which is dispersed in the other in the form of very small droplets or particles.
  2. climatologyAn 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. geographyA particle less than 1 micron in diameter, following the Wentworth scale

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
noncolloidsolution
Broader
dispersionsuspension
Narrower
aerogelaerosolbiocolloidemulsionemulsoideucolloidfoamgelhydrocolloidisocolloidnanocolloidphycocolloidradiocolloidsaccharocolloidsolsolid sol

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκόλλᾰ (kóllă)
  2. Vulgar Latincolla
  3. Frenchcolle
  4. Proto-Indo-European*weyd-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*wéydos
  6. Proto-Hellenic*wéidos
  7. Ancient Greekεἶδος (eîdos)
  8. Frenchcolloïde
  9. Englishcolloid

From French colloïde, from Ancient Greek κόλλα (kólla, “glue”) + -oid.

More words from French, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans kolloïde
  • kolloïdestable system of two phases
Bulgarian колоид
  • колоид (koloid)stable system of two phases
Catalan col·loide
  • col·loidestable system of two phases
Chinese Mandarin 膠體 /胶体
  • 膠體 /胶体 (jiāotǐ)stable system of two phases
Czech koloid
  • koloidstable system of two phases
Finnish kolloidi
  • kolloidistable system of two phases
French colloïde
  • colloïdestable system of two phases
German Kolloid
  • Kolloidstable system of two phases
Greek κολλοειδές
  • κολλοειδές (kolloeidés)stable system of two phases
Indonesian koloid
  • koloidstable system of two phases
Irish collóideach
  • collóideachstable system of two phases
Italian colloide, colóide
  • colloidestable system of two phases
  • colóidestable system of two phases
Japanese コロイド, 膠質
  • コロイド (koroido)stable system of two phases
  • 膠質 (kōshitsu)stable system of two phases
Korean 교질
  • 교질 (gyojil)stable system of two phases
Malay koloid
  • koloidstable system of two phases
Persian کلوئید
  • کلوئیدstable system of two phases
Polish koloid
  • koloidstable system of two phases
Portuguese coloide
  • coloidestable system of two phases
Romanian coloid, suspensie coloidală
  • coloidstable system of two phases
  • suspensie coloidalăstable system of two phases
Russian колло́ид
  • колло́ид (kollóid)stable system of two phases
Spanish coloide
  • coloidestable system of two phases
Tagalog maladigkit
  • maladigkitstable system of two phases
Thai คอลลอยด์
  • คอลลอยด์stable system of two phases
Turkish kolloit
  • kolloitstable system of two phases
Ukrainian колоїд
  • колоїд (kolojid)stable system of two phases
Vietnamese hệ keo
  • hệ keostable system of two phases
Cite this entry
APA

colloid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colloid

MLA

“colloid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colloid. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “colloid,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colloid.

Source: colloid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.