Gel

Pronunciation

• enPR: jÄ•l, IPA: /dÊ’É›l/
• Rhymes: -É›l
• Homophones: jell

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")

Full definition of gel

Noun

1. A semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal.
• 2013, Charles T. Ambrose, Alzheimer’s Disease, 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.
2. Any gel intended for a particular cosmetic use, such as for styling the hair.

Derived terms

• aerogel
• hair gel
• hydrogel
• shower gel
• silica gel
• xerogel

Verb

1. (transitive) To apply (cosmetic) gel to (the hair, etc).
2. (intransitive) To become a gel.
3. (intransitive) To develop a rapport.

Pronunciation

• enPR: gÄ•l, IPA: /É¡É›l/

Imitative of upper-class British pronunciation of girl.

Noun

1. (British) A girl.

Anagrams

• ElG, ELG, leg, leg.