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definitions

metalloid

[met-l-oid]

noun

a nonmetal that in combination with a metal forms an alloy.
an element that has both metallic and nonmetallic properties, as arsenic, silicon, or boron.

adjective

of or relating to a metalloid.
resembling both a metal and a nonmetal.

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Nearby words

  1. metallo-organic,
  2. metallocene,
  3. metalloenzyme,
  4. metallograph,
  5. metallography,
  6. metallophone,
  7. metalloporphyrin,
  8. metalloprotein,
  9. metallotherapy,
  10. metallothionein

Origin of metalloid

First recorded in 1825–35; metall- + -oid
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for metalloid

metalloid

noun

a nonmetallic element, such as arsenic or silicon, that has some of the properties of a metal

adjective Also: metalloidal (ˌmɛtəˈlɔɪdəl)

of or being a metalloid
resembling a metal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Science definitions for metalloid

metalloid

[mĕt′l-oid′]

An element that is not a metal but that has some properties of metals. Arsenic, for example, is a metalloid that has the visual appearance of a metal, but is a poor conductor of electricity; metalloids are generally semiconductors. The elements classified as metalloids are boron, silicon, germanium, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, and polonium. Metalloids can be viewed as a diagonal section on the Period Table, separating metals from nonmetals.
A nonmetallic element, such as carbon, that can form alloys with metals.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.