Colloid
/ˈkɒl.ɔɪd/noun
A substance microscopically dispersed throughout another substance without being chemically combined.
Did you know?Colloid comes from Greek kolla, “glue,” plus -oeidēs, “form, likeness,” so its name is literally a description of something that behaves like glue without being glue.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kólla
“glue”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-oeidḗs
“having the form of, resembling”
19th Century
English
colloid
“a substance with properties between a true solution and a suspension”
Modern English
English
colloid
“a finely divided substance dispersed through another medium”
Explore more surprising origins