metalloid

From metal +‎ -oid.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛtəlɔɪd/

metalloid (plural metalloids)

1. (chemistry) An element, such as silicon or germanium, intermediate in properties between that of a metal and a nonmetal; especially one that exhibits the external characteristics of a metal, but behaves chemically more as a nonmetal.
2. (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.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Humphry Davy to this entry?)

metalloid (comparative more metalloid, superlative most metalloid)

1. (not comparable) Of of relating to the metalloids.
2. (informal) Characteristic of the metal music genre.
   • 1997, CMJ New Music Monthly (number 43, page 12)

     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.

   • 2004, Gene Santoro, Highway 61 Revisited

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