colloidal

[ kuh-loid-l ]

adjective

, Physical Chemistry.

1. pertaining to or of the nature of a colloid:

   colloidal gold and silver.

Other Words From

• col·loi·dal·i·ty [kol-oi-, dal, -i-tee], noun
• col·loidal·ly adverb
• noncol·loidal adjective
• semi·col·loidal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of colloidal¹

First recorded in 1860–65; colloid + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Such colloidal particles -- small solid particles suspended in a fluid phase -- can be seen as an excellent way to measure and also manipulate the motion of the living cells' membrane.

From Science Daily

"We show that these can be used for calculations and at the same time present a method that suppresses the influence of disruptive effects, such as noise, in the movement of the colloidal particles."

From Science Daily

Secondly, flexible DNA provides additional degrees of freedom in the assembly of non-space-filling polyhedral nanoparticles, leading to the creation of complex crystals with symmetries not previously achievable with colloidal crystal engineering with DNA.

From Science Daily

When Carlson died in 2021 at the age of 45, a coroner’s report deemed her cause of death to be “alcohol abuse, anorexia and chronic colloidal silver ingestion.”

From Salon

After Carlson died — from what an autopsy revealed was organ failure related to anorexia, alcoholism and colloidal silver ingestion — her followers traveled across five states with her body in the back of an SUV.

From Los Angeles Times