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Colloid vs Gel - What's the difference?

colloid | gel |

As nouns the difference between colloid and gel

is that colloid is a stable system of two phases, one of which is dispersed in the other in the form of very small droplets or particles while gel is a semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal.

As an adjective colloid

is glue-like; gelatinous.

As a verb gel is

to apply (cosmetic) gel to (the hair, etc).

colloid

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Glue-like; gelatinous.
    • colloid tumours

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chemistry) A stable system of two phases, one of which is dispersed in the other in the form of very small droplets or particles.
  • (meteorology) An intimate mixture of two substances one of which, called the dispersed phase (or colloid ), is uniformly distributed in a finely divided state throughout the second substance, called the dispersion medium (or dispersing medium). The dispersion medium may be a gas, a liquid, or a solid, and the dispersed phase may also be any of these, with the exception that one does not speak of a colloidal system of one gas in another. A system of liquid or solid particles colloidally dispersed in a gas is called an aerosol. A system of solid substances or water-insoluble liquids colloidally dispersed in liquid water is called a hydrosol.
  • (geology) A particle less than 1 micron in diameter, following the Wentworth scale

    • Derived terms

    * colloidal

    See also

    * solid sol solid in solid * sol solid in liquid * aerosol solid or liquid in gas * gel liquid in solid * emulsion liquid in liquid * foam gas in liquid or solid * aerogel gas in solid

    gel

    English

    (wikipedia gel)

    Etymology 1

    Coined by in the mid 19th century as a clipping of (gelatin), from (etyl)

    Noun

  • A semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Charles T. Ambrose
    • , title= Alzheimer’s Disease , volume=101, issue=3, page=200, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.}}
  • Any gel intended for a particular cosmetic use, such as for styling the hair.
    • Derived terms
    * aerogel * hair gel * hydrogel * shower gel * silica gel * xerogel
    See also
    For more information on classification of colloids, see Wikipedia article on (colloid)s

    Verb

    (gell)
  • To apply (cosmetic) gel to (the hair, etc).
  • To become a gel.
  • To develop a rapport.

    • See also

    * aerosol * colloid * emulsion * foam * sol

    Etymology 2

    Imitative of upper-class British pronunciation of (girl).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British) A girl.

    • Anagrams

    * English heteronyms ----