gel
Americannoun
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Physical Chemistry. a semirigid colloidal dispersion of a solid with a liquid or gas, as jelly, glue, etc.
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Theater. gelatin.
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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)
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to form or become a gel.
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jell.
noun
verb
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to become or cause to become a gel
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a variant spelling of jell
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gelsimple
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gelssimple
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have gelledperfect
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has gelledperfect
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am gellingprogressive
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are gellingprogressive
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is gellingprogressive
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have been gellingperfect progressive
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has been gellingperfect progressive
Past
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gelledsimple
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had gelledperfect
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was gellingprogressive
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were gellingprogressive
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had been gellingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
They said a variety of deterrents, including spikes and vapour-releasing gel pods to discourage roosting, were used as a first port of call.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
A newly developed dental gel may be able to rebuild damaged tooth enamel, potentially creating a new approach to preventing decay and restoring worn teeth.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
Their findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest the gel could repair enamel that has been weakened by mineral loss or erosion, reinforce enamel that is still healthy, and help protect teeth from future damage.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
Burns specialists said the injuries caused by heated squishy toys can be particularly severe because the gel inside can remain extremely hot and get stuck to the skin, prolonging the burn.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
I reach for my gel pens in a basket on the window ledge and spread them out.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
UV light is used for air purification, curing resins in 3D printing, hardening gels in dental fillings, and even applications such as nail treatments.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
In grueling endurance sports like cycling, and now running, athletes are gobbling down unprecedented amounts of sugary carbohydrates, both in training and competition, via fast-acting gels and bottles loaded with glucose and fructose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
Currently there are no hormonal contraceptives for men although some gels and pills are being tested.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
Many common whitening products rely on peroxide-based bleaching found in strips, gels, and mouth rinses.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 23, 2026
And now Mustafa practically lives in the bathroom, shaves, gels his hair, and drowns in cologne.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
But he has gelled with them, while Piastri - so strong in the first half of last season - is struggling.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Ferrell gelled with each of them and everybody else, doing the Will Ferrell thing, which still works tremendously well after all these years.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026
Russell admitted that the "pace was really, really poor on my side", and that he has never gelled with the Miami circuit and its low-grip surface and slow corners.
From BBC ● May 3, 2026
But when she arrives at Iona’s apartment, Andie is shocked to see that a coiffed perm, light makeup, a sensible suit and a string of pearls have replaced her friend’s beehives and gelled spikes.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
I’d lined my eyes in the same dark cat-eye style, applied a dark lipstick, and gelled my hair so that it was kind of spiky on top with bangs over one eye.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
There’s a rhythm and a quality of engagement that I learned completely in the theater world that applied to the gelling and the cohesion of “Rooster” in all of the scenes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
Many vegan meat alternatives also use gelling agents that bind water and fat.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2024
Farmhouses across the nation practically required at least one of the long-lived trees because of quinces’ natural pectin, an important gelling ingredient in preserves.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 31, 2023
But seaweed-derived gelling agents such as carrageenan and agar, Dr. Gravelle added, don’t offer the same luxe texture and broad spectrum of uses as their animal-derived counterparts.
From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2022
Now, as the skipper was a very sharp fellow, and perfectly understood his business-practically anticipating the Transatlantic axiom of buying at the cheapest market and gelling at the dearest-he soon contrived to grow rich.
From The Star-Chamber, Volume 1 An Historical Romance by Ainsworth, William Harrison
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.
