metalloid

[ met-l-oid ]
/ ˈmɛt lˌɔɪd /

noun

a nonmetal that in combination with a metal forms an alloy.
an element that has both metallic and nonmetallic properties, as arsenic, silicon, or boron.

adjective

of or relating to a metalloid.
resembling both a metal and a nonmetal.

Origin of metalloid

First recorded in 1825–35; metall- + -oid

Words nearby metalloid

metallo-organic, metallocene, metalloenzyme, metallograph, metallography, metalloid, metallophone, metalloporphyrin, metalloprotein, metallotherapy, metallothionein

British Dictionary definitions for metalloid

metalloid
/ (ˈmɛtəˌlɔɪd) /

noun

a nonmetallic element, such as arsenic or silicon, that has some of the properties of a metal

adjective Also: metalloidal (ˌmɛtəˈlɔɪdəl)

of or being a metalloid
resembling a metal

Scientific definitions for metalloid

metalloid
[ mĕt′l-oid′ ]

An element that is not a metal but that has some properties of metals. Arsenic, for example, is a metalloid that has the visual appearance of a metal, but is a poor conductor of electricity; metalloids are generally semiconductors. The elements classified as metalloids are boron, silicon, germanium, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, and polonium. Metalloids can be viewed as a diagonal section on the Period Table, separating metals from nonmetals.
A nonmetallic element, such as carbon, that can form alloys with metals.