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gelcap

British  
/ ˈdʒɛlˌkæp /

noun

  1. a dose of medicine enclosed in a soluble case of gelatine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gelcap

C20: from gel ( atine ) + cap ( sule )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

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

Peter Strella, a spokesman for Rite Aid, also argued that the study was “not making the right comparison” because rapid-release gelcaps are faster to release than a standard gelcap, not a tablet.

From Washington Post Nov. 14, 2018

There are other reasons consumers might prefer a gelcap to a tablet — they may be easier to swallow or mask the bitter taste of the active ingredient.

From Washington Post Nov. 14, 2018

“What the study told me is that both the gelcap formulations and the tablet formulations are immediate release formulations, that they both break down quickly.”

From Washington Post Nov. 14, 2018

David Light, chief executive of Valisure, said the primary reason for the gelcap to take longer to dissolve than the tablet is that the gelcap surrounds a tablet.

From Washington Post Nov. 14, 2018

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