gelatin

American  

[jel-uh-tn] / ˈdʒɛl ə tn /

Or gelatine

noun

gelatins plural

1. a nearly transparent, faintly yellow, odorless, and almost tasteless glutinous substance obtained by boiling in water the ligaments, bones, skin, etc., of animals, and forming the basis of jellies, glues, and the like.

2. any of various similar substances, as vegetable gelatin.

3. a preparation or product in which such an animal or vegetable substance is the essential constituent.

4. an edible jelly made of this substance.

5. Also called gelatin slide.  Theater. a thin sheet made of translucent gelatin colored with an aniline dye, placed over stage lights, and used as a color medium in obtaining lighting effects.

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gelatin Scientific  

/ jĕl′ə-tn /

1. An odorless, colorless protein substance obtained by boiling a mixture of water and the skin, bones, and tendons of animals. The preparation forms a gel when allowed to cool. It is used in foods, drugs, glue, and film.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gelatins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gelatin

1790–1800; < French gélatine < Medieval Latin gelātina, equivalent to Latin gelāt ( us ) frozen, thickened, past participle of gelāre ( gel- freeze + -ātus -ate ¹ ) + -ina -in ²

Explanation

Gelatin is an edible thickener that's made from finely ground animal bones and tissue. It's gelatin that gives marshmallows and Jell-o their thick, gummy texture. While you're probably familiar with gelatin in gummy bears, candy corn, and other sweets, it's also commonly used in foods like cream cheese, low fat yogurt, and some Chinese dumplings. There are non-food uses for gelatin as well, including glue, medicine, sandpaper, and makeup. Gelatin isn't vegetarian — it's made from animal parts, including bones and connective tissue. Gelatin comes from the French gélatine, "jelly-like substance from animals," and its Latin root meaning "to congeal."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gelatin gelatins

On another occasion he had been hospitalised after eating marshmallows, which usually contain gelatin derived from animal parts.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

A smaller percentage also have sensitivity to dairy and have to avoid gelatin and products containing it—including Jell-O, gummy bears and even gelcap pain relievers—as well as medications made in mammalian cells.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

First, the researchers combined thyme extract with gelatin and pushed this mixture through a tiny chip at the same time as a stream of sodium alginate.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 17, 2026

She makes a living selling gelatin in the streets of Los Angeles, but she has been terrified to leave her home since the raids first started over the summer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2025

“It’s hard to love somebody when they don’t love you back,” she says, her voice getting all gooey like the marshmallows she doesn’t eat because they’re made with gelatin and she’s that kind of vegetarian.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

It is a mix of sugar, corn syrup, gelatins, gums, colorings and flavorings that include chocolate, licorice, cinnamon, lemon, lime, orange, wintergreen and clove.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2018

The modern winemaker has access to a vast armamentarium of interventions, from supercharged lab-grown yeast, to antimicrobials, antioxidants, acidity regulators and filtering gelatins, all the way up to industrial machines.

From The Guardian ● May 15, 2018

Hans Riegel, a second-generation German confectioner who helped bring the bear-shaped, fruit-flavored gelatins known as gummi bears to candy lovers all over the world, died Oct.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 16, 2013

Cyclamates are also used in puddings, gelatins, salad dressings, jams and jellies, ice cream and practically all diet foods.

From Time Magazine Archive

Glues and gelatins merge into one another by imperceptible degrees.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 2 "Gloss" to "Gordon, Charles George" by Various

Related Words

• jelly
• marmalade