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Synonyms

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.

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

"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

verb

  1. to become or cause to become a gel

  2. a variant spelling of jell

"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

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

Vocabulary lists containing gel

Theater - Middle School

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Theater - High School

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Vocabulary from Readings 3, Unit 2

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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.

At the end of my treatment, Chen gave me under-eye gel pad masks, for added hydration, while conducting one last head massage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

The soft and flexible gel is made with water and a choline based liquid that is antibacterial, nontoxic, and biocompatible.

From Science Daily • Feb. 22, 2026

By supplying stable oxygen while calming this overactive response, the gel helps restore healthier conditions for tissue repair.

From Science Daily • Feb. 22, 2026

Mason says she has a "particularly hairy part" of her wrist where she applies her testosterone gel on a daily basis, but that the benefits she gets from the hormone are worth it.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

After about a week, it started to gel and I got my first taste of being a cog in the machine.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.