gel

American  

[jel] / dʒɛl /

noun

1. Physical Chemistry. a semirigid colloidal dispersion of a solid with a liquid or gas, as jelly, glue, etc.

2. Theater. gelatin.

3. Biochemistry. a semirigid polymer, as agarose, starch, cellulose acetate, or polyacrylamide, cast into slabs or cylinders for the electrophoretic separation of proteins and nucleic acids.

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verb (used without object)

gelled, gelling

1. to form or become a gel.

2. jell.

gel British  

/ dʒɛl /

noun

1. a semirigid jelly-like colloid in which a liquid is dispersed in a solid

   nondrip paint is a gel

2. See hair gel

3. informal theatre See gelatine

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verb

1. to become or cause to become a gel

2. a variant spelling of jell

Other Word Forms

• degel verb (used with object)
• nongelling adjective
• regel verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of gel

First recorded in 1895–1900; shortening of gelatin

Example Sentences

Jordan said Midi will, at times, switch patients to estradiol products that come in gel or spray form, but those are not typically covered by insurance or need prior authorization.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meg’s jam refuses to gel, Jo salts instead of sugars the strawberries, ambition and reality collide, humiliation stings but eventually becomes something to laugh about.

From The Wall Street Journal

I pull out my school planner and gel pens.

From Literature

While part of Bridgerton's success lies in its ability to bring in new talent each series to keep things fresh, the core cast are the gel that holds everything together.

From BBC

I’m walking back to the locker room to change when a short kid with hair gelled up into toothbrush-like bristles and neon-blue sneakers joins me.

From Literature

Related Words

• clot
• condense
• congeal
• curdle
• swell