gel

[ jel ]

/ dʒɛl /

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noun

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

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.

verb (used without object), gelled, gel·ling.

to form or become a gel.

jell (def. 2).

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Origin of gel

First recorded in 1895–1900; shortening of gelatin

OTHER WORDS FROM gel

de·gel, verb (used with object), de·gelled, de·gel·ling.non·gel·ling, adjectivere·gel, verb (used without object), re·gelled, re·gel·ling.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gel in a sentence

That can include cooling gel pads or infused fills, heat absorption, or pinhole core ventilation.
The best pillow: Sleep better in any position|Carsen Joenk|December 11, 2020|Popular-Science
Instead of putting dye in a bath, it puts the dye in a gel along with tiny bits of cellulose.
Why today’s ‘fast fashions’ can be bad for the planet|Kathiann Kowalski|December 10, 2020|Science News For Students
Astronauts have experimented with growing them in clay “pillows” and in a special kind of gel.
Could astronauts grow plants in soil? Scientists hope ISS will help them get the dirt.|Lela Nargi|November 8, 2020|Washington Post
Around the soft edges of the paintings, which are finished with gloss gel, the pigment-paste mix resembles melted wax.
In the galleries: Referencing the revered Washington colorists and beyond|Mark Jenkins|November 6, 2020|Washington Post

With Kolb as CEO, the Connecticut-based company has developed Elitone, a noninvasive device composed of a small electrical controller connected to a gel pad.
New help for a health problem women don’t talk about|Katie McLean|October 20, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Gluten-free noodles are often made with some sort of gelling agent like xanthan gum to bind the ingredients together.
Harvard Students Play With Food|Laura Colarusso|December 28, 2010|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for gel

gel

/ (dʒɛl) /

noun

a semirigid jelly-like colloid in which a liquid is dispersed in a solidnondrip paint is a gel

See hair gel

theatre informal See gelatine (def. 4)

verb gels, gelling or gelled

to become or cause to become a gel

a variant spelling of jell

Word Origin for gel

C19: by shortening from 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