colloidal

This term is primarily used in scientific and technical registers, specifically within chemistry, pharmacology, and materials science. It describes a specific physical state of matter where one substance is dispersed in another without dissolving, creating a stable system that behaves differently than a simple solution or a coarse mixture.

In a practical sense, the word implies a level of stability and uniformity. While a suspension might settle over time, a colloidal system remains dispersed. It is frequently used to describe substances like milk, fog, or specialized medical preparations such as colloidal silver, where the particle size is the defining characteristic.