gel
nounverbnounattested in dialogue
- //d͡ʒɛl//
- /[d͡ʒɛɫ]/
- //ɡɛl//
A semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal.
noun
- 1
A semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal.
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.
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.
- 2
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
Any gel intended for a particular cosmetic use, such as for styling the hair.
- 4
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.
Etymology
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”).
verb
- 1
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.
- 2
To become a gel: to set up.
- 3
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
figurativeTo come together to form something; to cohere.
We put our ideas together and they eventually gelled into a saleable product.
noun
- 1
slangA girl.
"Now pray don't be troublesome, my dear gel," said Uncle Andrew.
Etymology
Imitative of upper-class British pronunciation of girl.
Forms
- plural
- gels
- past tense
- gelled
- past participle
- gelled
- present participle
- gelling
- third person singular
- gels
gel · A semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal.
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