Metalloid
/ˈmɛt.əl.ɔɪd/noun
A chemical element with properties intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals.
Did you know?The suffix -oid comes from Greek -oeidēs, meaning “resembling,” so metalloid is basically a scientific label for something that only *appears* metal-adjacent.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
métallon
“mine; metal obtained from the earth”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-oeidēs
“having the form of; resembling”
19th Century
English
metalloid
“a substance resembling a metal”
Modern English
English
metalloid
“an element with properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals”