Metalloid

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Metalloid \Met"al*loid\, n. [L. metallum metal + -oid: cf. F.
     m['e]tallo["i]de.]
        (a) Formerly, the metallic base of a fixed alkali, or
            alkaline earth; -- applied by Sir Humphrey Davy to
            sodium, potassium, and some other metallic substances
            whose metallic character was supposed to be not well


            defined.
        (b) Now, one of several elementary substances which in the
            free state are unlike metals, and whose compounds
            possess or produce acid, rather than basic,
            properties; a nonmetal; as, boron, carbon, phosphorus,
            nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, chlorine, bromine, etc.,
            are metalloids.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Metalloid \Met"al*loid\, a.
     1. Having the appearance of a metal.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Chem.) Having the properties of a nonmetal; nonmetallic;
        acid; negative.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  metalloid
       adj : of or being a nonmetallic element that has some of the
             properties of metal; "arsenic is a metalloid element"