colloidal

American  

[kuh-loid-l] / kəˈlɔɪd l /

adjective

Physical Chemistry.

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

   colloidal gold and silver.

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colloidal British  

/ ˌkɒˈlɔɪdəl, ˌkɒlɔɪˈdælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of, denoting, or having the character of a colloid

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Other Word Forms

• colloidality noun
• colloidally adverb
• noncolloidal adjective
• semicolloidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of colloidal

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

Example Sentences

Light programmable colloidal crystals may eventually enable reconfigurable optical coatings, adaptive sensors, and next generation display and data storage technologies, where patterns and functions are defined dynamically by illumination rather than fixed during manufacturing.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

The researchers' device represents the first hydrovoltaic application of a technique called nanosphere colloidal lithography, which allowed them to create a hexagonal network of precisely spaced silicon nanopillars.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2024

Physicists at Leipzig University have now created a type of neural network that works not with electricity but with so-called active colloidal particles.

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2024

Thanks to the docuseries, colloidal silver has materialized in popular culture once again, but it’s not the first time.

From Salon • Jan. 7, 2024

This method of dialysis was applied by Graham to separate and obtain in the pure state many colloidal modifications of chemical compounds, such as aluminium and tin hydrates, etc.

From Heroes of Science Chemists by Muir, M. M. Pattison (Matthew Moncrieff Pattison)