silica gel

noun Chemistry.

a highly adsorbent gelatinous form of silica, used chiefly as a dehumidifying and dehydrating agent.

Origin of silica gel

First recorded in 1915–20

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for silica gel

silica gel

noun

an amorphous form of silica capable of absorbing large quantities of water: used in drying gases and oils, as a carrier for catalysts and an anticaking agent for cosmetics

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