Colloidal
(adjective)
Relating to or denoting a substance that is made up of particles dispersed in a liquid or solid in which they are not dissolved, but are small enough not to settle out.
Origin:
The word "colloidal" comes from the greek "kolla" meaning "glue" and "eidos" meaning "form".
Examples:
- Colloidal suspensions are mixtures of two substances, one of which is dispersed in the other.
- Colloidal particles are typically measured in nanometers.
- Colloidal solutions are often turbid, or cloudy, due to the small size of the particles.
- Colloidal gold is used in some electronic and medical applications.
- Colloidal silver is sometimes used as a dietary supplement but its effectiveness is not scientifically proven.