Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A highly flammable, colorless or yellowish syrupy solution of nitrocellulose, ether, and alcohol, used as an adhesive to close small wounds and hold surgical dressings, in topical medications, and for making photographic plates.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A substance prepared by dissolving pyroxylin or guncotton in ether, or in a mixture of ether and alcohol.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Chem.) A solution of pyroxylin (soluble gun cotton) in ether containing a varying proportion of alcohol. It is strongly adhesive, and is used by surgeons as a coating for wounds; but its chief application is as a vehicle for the sensitive film in photography.
  • noun (Photog.) a process in which a film of sensitized collodion is used in preparing the plate for taking a picture.
  • noun collodion containing an astringent, as tannin.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a syrupy solution of pyroxylin in alcohol and ether that evaporates on a surface to form a clear elastic film; used in surgical dressings, photographic plates and lacquer paints

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a colorless syrupy solution of pyroxylin in ether and alcohol; used as a coating for wounds or photographic films

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Variant of collodium, from New Latin collōdium, gluey substance, from Greek kollōdēs, glutinous, gluelike : kolla, glue + -ōdēs, adj. suffix (earlier, having the smell of, from ozein, od-, to smell).]

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Examples

Comments

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  • I love this bit at the end of the Century definition:

    "Collodion is used also as a water-proof coating in place of varnish, especially to protect lucifer matches from the effects of dampness."

    February 22, 2011

  • Collodion: Lucifer's incontinence pad.

    February 22, 2011

  • Brackets!

    February 22, 2011

  • Right you are.

    February 22, 2011