Metalloid

Quick meaning: Metalloid is a noun meaning (chemistry, obsolete) A nonmetal.

Meaning

(chemistry, obsolete) A nonmetal.

More Meanings

1. (not comparable) Of or relating to the metalloids.
2. (informal) Characteristic of the metal music genre.
3. (chemistry) An element, such as silicon or germanium, intermediate in properties between that of a metal and a nonmetal; especially an elemental semiconductor.
4. (chemistry, obsolete) The metallic base of a fixed alkali, or alkaline earth; applied to sodium, potassium, and some other metallic substances whose metallic character was supposed to be not well defined.

Example Sentences

By some they [metals of the alkalies] were called metalloids; by some their simple nature was objected to

It expanded from bleary delay rippling with looped phrases to embrace molten metalloid raunch and blues grit, acoustic guitars and pedal steels.

Graham Massey of 808 State turns a Björkian moan into a vibrating siren and powers his strangely metalloid version of "Army Of Me" with it; the Brodsky String Quartet turns "Hyperballad" into a stately 3-D chess game.

Word Forms

• metalloids

Synonyms for metalloid

Depending on context, synonyms include nonmetal.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include nonmetal, semimetal, semi-metal, metallide, intermetallic, intermetal.

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