Dictionary

gel en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /d͡ʒɛl/
• jĕl
• [d͡ʒɛɫ]
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gel- Latin gelū Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin gelāre Italian gelareder. Italian gelatinabor. French gélatinebor. English gelatinclip. English gel Coined by Thomas Graham in the mid 19th century as a clipping of gelatin, from French gélatine, from Italian gelatina, diminutive form of gelata (“iced”), from Latin gelata, past participle of gelo (“to freeze”), from gelu (“frost”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“cold”). For the meaning development compare with Russian сту́день (stúdenʹ, “aspic, jelly, gel”) related to студёный (studjónyj, “cold”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal.
   • Researchers have developed a new gel they say is as durable as metal, has the flexibility of jello, and could revolutionize how our bodies heal and age. 2017 July 16, Jenny Marc, Katy Scott, “Revolutionary gel is five times stronger than steel”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Jul 2025:
   • Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads. 2013 May-June, Charles T. Ambrose, “Alzheimer’s Disease”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 200:
2. (countable, uncountable) A semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal. ▸ A food preparation or dish in the form of a flavored gel.
   • apple gel
3. (countable, uncountable) Any gel intended for a particular cosmetic use, such as for styling the hair.
4. (countable, uncountable) A film of flexible transparent plastic (such as acetate, celluloid, or cellophane) suitable for making superimpositions or diapositives (image to overlay on other images, especially for overhead projectors); a digital virtual equivalent of this.

Forms

Deriveds

thermal gel · mucigel · gelless · tightening gel · nanogel · sonogel · aerogel · cryogel · alcogel · gelcoat · macrogel · chalcogel · hand gel · minigel · softgel · thermogel · shower gel · organogel · incendigel · light gel · piping gel · gel bracelet · semenogelin · pepper gel · gel pen · shaving gel · sol-gel · energy gel · silica gel · hair gel · pseudogel · biogel · ferrogel · xerogel · microgel · hydrogel · ionogel · gel electrophoresis

Translations (96)

ko 겔 (suspension of solid in liquid) · pl żel (suspension of solid in liquid) · hy գել (suspension of solid in liquid) · tl pamada (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · fr gel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · ru гель (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · ky гель (suspension of solid in liquid) · hu gél (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · fi hyty (suspension of solid in liquid) · nl gelei (suspension of solid in liquid) · ru желе́ (suspension of solid in liquid) · bg гел (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · km ជែល (suspension of solid in liquid) · cmn 凍膠 /冻胶 (suspension of solid in liquid) · gl xel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · nl gel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · pl żel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · fr gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · bg гел (suspension of solid in liquid) · hi जेल (suspension of solid in liquid) · it gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · sl gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · sw jeli (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · be гель (suspension of solid in liquid) · vi keo (suspension of solid in liquid) · lt gelis (suspension of solid in liquid) · ko 젤 (suspension of solid in liquid) · cmn 啫哩 (suspension of solid in liquid) · mi hāpia (suspension of solid in liquid) · fi geeli (suspension of solid in liquid) · az qel (suspension of solid in liquid) · sh ге̏л (suspension of solid in liquid) · es gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · he גֶ׳ל (suspension of solid in liquid) · cmn 凝膠 /凝胶 (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · gl xel (suspension of solid in liquid) · ja ジェル (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · eo ĝelo (suspension of solid in liquid) · ar هُلَام (suspension of solid in liquid) · tr jel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · de Gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · fa ژل (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · fi geeli (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · ru сту́день (suspension of solid in liquid) · ja ジェル (suspension of solid in liquid) · hu gél (suspension of solid in liquid) · sk gél (suspension of solid in liquid) · mk гел (suspension of solid in liquid) · et geel (suspension of solid in liquid) · tg гел (suspension of solid in liquid) · sq xhel (suspension of solid in liquid) · ka გელი (suspension of solid in liquid) · pt gel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · he ג׳ל (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · ca gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · th เจล (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · tr jöle (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · tr jel (suspension of solid in liquid) · zza jel (suspension of solid in liquid) · nb gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · sh gȅl (suspension of solid in liquid) · kk гель (suspension of solid in liquid) · vi gien (suspension of solid in liquid) · uk гель (suspension of solid in liquid) · pt gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · io jelo (suspension of solid in liquid) · he תקריש (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · mn гель (suspension of solid in liquid) · fi hyytelö (suspension of solid in liquid) · hu zselé (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · de Gel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · cs gel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · ru гель (suspension of solid in liquid) · id gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · el πήκτωμα (suspension of solid in liquid) · sw jeli (suspension of solid in liquid) · el ζελέ (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · nl gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · ar مُثَبِّتُ الشَّعْر (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · ur جیل (suspension of solid in liquid) · is gel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · is hlaup (suspension of solid in liquid) · el γέλη (suspension of solid in liquid) · da gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · fa ژل (suspension of solid in liquid) · th เจล (suspension of solid in liquid) · cs gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · el τζελ (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · ja ゲル (suspension of solid in liquid) · sv gel (suspension of solid in liquid) · ga glóthach (suspension of solid in liquid) · cmn 凝膠 /凝胶 (suspension of solid in liquid) · mi pia (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · lv želeja (suspension of solid in liquid) · ca gel (any gel for a particular cosmetic use) · uz gel (suspension of solid in liquid)

wikipedia: colloid

gel en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /d͡ʒɛl/
• jĕl
• [d͡ʒɛɫ]
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gel- Latin gelū Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin gelāre Italian gelareder. Italian gelatinabor. French gélatinebor. English gelatinclip. English gel Coined by Thomas Graham in the mid 19th century as a clipping of gelatin, from French gélatine, from Italian gelatina, diminutive form of gelata (“iced”), from Latin gelata, past participle of gelo (“to freeze”), from gelu (“frost”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“cold”). For the meaning development compare with Russian сту́день (stúdenʹ, “aspic, jelly, gel”) related to студёный (studjónyj, “cold”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To apply (cosmetic) gel to (the hair, etc).
   • It ended, as it so often does, with that familiar smile. Cristiano Ronaldo – gelled hair, dazzling teeth, magic in his boots – will never forget the night he scored the 600th goal of an almost implausible career. 2017 June 3, Daniel Taylor, “Real Madrid win Champions League as Cristiano Ronaldo double defeats Juve”, in The Guardian (London), archived from the original on 28 Mar 2019:
2. (intransitive) To become a gel: to set up.
3. (intransitive) To develop a rapport.
   • He was a nice guy, and I got on OK with his friends, but the two of us never really gelled.
4. (figuratively, intransitive) To come together to form something; to cohere.
   • We put our ideas together and they eventually gelled into a saleable product.

Forms

Deriveds

thermogelling · nongelling

Relateds

colloid · foam · aerosol · sol · emulsion

Synonyms

jell out · set

Translations (17)

fi geeliytyä (become gel) · ca relacionar-se (develop a rapport) · ca gelificar (become gel) · bg желирам (become gel) · fi hyytelöityä (become gel) · fr gélifier (become gel) · nl indikken (become gel) · es cuajar (become gel) · nl geleren (become gel) · ga glóthaigh (become gel) · es gelificarse (become gel) · es relacionarse (develop a rapport) · es gelificar (become gel) · fi levittää geeliä (apply cosmetic gel) · pt gelifazer (become gel) · pt gelificar (become gel) · nl gellen (apply cosmetic gel)

gel en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• gĕl
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɡɛl/

Etymology

Imitative of upper-class British pronunciation of girl.

Meanings

1. (UK, slang) A girl.
   • "Now pray don't be troublesome, my dear gel," said Uncle Andrew. 1955, C[live] S[taples] Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew, London: The Bodley Head, →OCLC:

Forms