n 1  :  a gelatinous or mucinous substance found in tissues in disease or normally (as in the thyroid)  2 a  :  a substance consisting of particles that are dispersed throughout another substance and are too small for resolution with an ordinary light microscope but are incapable of passing through a semipermeable membrane  b  :  a mixture (as smoke) consisting of a colloid together with the medium in which it is dispersed col*loi*dal adj col*loi*dal*ly adv 
 
 
 
Similar sounding terms:  claw toe  cle·oid   clot   cold or COLD 
 
Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.  © 1997-2024.