1

gel

noun \ ˈjel \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: gel in a Sentence

Definition of gel

1 : a colloid in a more solid form than a sol; broadly : jelly 2

2 : a thin colored transparent sheet used over a stage light to color it

3 : a gelatinous preparation used in styling hair

See gel defined for English-language learners

See gel defined for kids

Recent Examples of gel from the Web

Many drugstore acne creams, washes, and gels contain salicylic acid, but stronger versions are also available in prescription form.

— kristin koch, Seventeen, "7 Acne Treatments That ACTUALLY Work," 5 June 2018
There, bile extracted from bears, in processes involving considerable pain, infection and disease, is baked into powder and sold in a range of products - including eye gel and toothpaste - freely available in pharmacies.

— author: simon denyer, Anchorage Daily News, "From hemorrhoids to hangovers: Bear bile is treasured in China, and that’s bad for captive bears," 3 June 2018
There, bile extracted from bears, using processes that cause considerable pain, infection and disease, is baked into powder and sold in a variety of products — including eye gel and toothpaste — easily available in pharmacies.

— simon denyer, Washington Post, "China’s bear bile industry persists despite growing awareness of the cruelty involved," 3 June 2018
The Food and Drug Administration said that various gels and creams containing the drug benzocaine can cause rare but deadly side effects in children, especially those 2 years and younger.

— matthew perrone, BostonGlobe.com, "FDA warns teething medicines unsafe, wants them off shelves," 24 May 2018
Children’s gel teething products that contain the painkiller benzocaine.

— sy mukherjee, Fortune, "FDA Slams Teething Medicines As Unsafe in Latest Consumer Public Health Push," 24 May 2018
The gel was also able to lift adhesive from paper fibers in a painting by artist Lucio Fontana.

— National Geographic, "Tape Is Ruining Priceless Art. This New Gel Can Fix It.," 23 May 2018
The Eau de Sens fragrance is already a Diptyque favorite, and now the fragrance house has fashioned it into a hand and body gel and hair mist, in limited-edition packaging.

— shannon barbour, The Cut, "Diptyque’s Latest Additions Will Transport You to a Mediterranean Utopia," 9 May 2018
Like a growing number of insurance companies offering similar services, Chubb's firefighters can trim trees and move combustible material away from a home, spray it with gel or water and cover vents to prevent hot embers from getting inside a home.

— NBC News, "Wealthy's use of private firefighters ignites debate in wildfire country," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gel

gelatin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1899

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

2

gel

verb

Definition of gel

gelled; gelling

intransitive verb

1 : to change into or take on the form of a gel : set

2 : jell 1

—

gelable

play \ˈje-lə-bəl\ adjective

See gel defined for English-language learners

Examples of gel in a Sentence

The mixture will gel as it cools.
Our plans are finally starting to gel.

Recent Examples of gel from the Web

According to a news release, Crawford’s wound dressing portfolio includes its highly absorbent KerraMax Care range as well as KerraFoam foam and KerraCell antimicrobial gelling fiber.

— lynn brezosky, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio wound care leader Acelity acquires Crawford Healthcare," 8 June 2018
The two are gelling well in the defensive backfield, according to head coach Ron Rivera.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "What can Da'Norris Searcy be for Panthers? More than just a starter at safety," 5 June 2018
The new European model forecast (just in) hints there is a possibility that the ingredients for a major, long duration storm do not gel and that there is another scenario, not described below, of a more moderate precipitation event.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "Mid-Atlantic storminess is likely next Tuesday and Wednesday: Meaningful snow in question," 16 Mar. 2018
That would gel with reports by Kotaku, Eurogamer, and others suggesting the company is working on such a mode for Black Ops 4.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "Activision shows PC some love, plans “significant” resources for Call of Duty," 4 May 2018
The road show won't hit Houston city limits until February 5, 2019, so the group will have plenty of time to gel before Houstonians see them live at the Toyota Center.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Classic-rockers Fleetwood Mac coming back to Houston without a longtime member," 25 Apr. 2018
Hidden inside is a super absorbent core that quickly turns liquid to gel for incredible protection.

— Woman's Day, "Maximum Bladder Protection. Made Beautiful.," 24 Apr. 2018
After a slow start to the year, that group finally gelled, and had an absurd defensive rating of 95.9 in 539 minutes together.

— rohan nadkarni, SI.com, "With Corey Brewer in Tow, Thunder Might Finally Have Their Closing Lineup," 22 Mar. 2018
Maybe Daly does, in fact, place great pride in his gelled and styled head of hair, arranging and then rearranging the strands to match his standard of perfection.

— paul myerberg, USA TODAY, "2018 Winter Olympics: U.S. skeleton racer John Daly is 'man with the $1 million haircut'," 15 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of gel

1917

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

gel Synonyms

Synonyms

clot, coagulate, congeal, gelate, gelatinize, jell, jelly, set;

Near Antonyms

liquefy (also liquify), melt, thaw;

Related Words

cake, concrete, firm (up), fix, freeze, harden, indurate, solidify, stiffen;

condense, thicken;

clump, curd, curdle, gum, lump (up);

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

GEL Defined for English Language Learners

gel

noun

Definition of gel for English Language Learners

: a thick substance that is like jelly and that is used in various products

gel

verb

Definition of gel for English Language Learners

: to change into a gel : to change into a thick substance that is like jelly
: to become clear and definite
: to style (hair) with gel

GEL Defined for Kids

1

gel

noun \ ˈjel \

Definition of gel for Students

: a thick jellylike substance

2

gel

verb

Definition of gel for Students

gelled; gelling

: to change into a thick jellylike substance

The mixture will gel as it cools.

Medical Dictionary

1

gel

noun \ ˈjel \

medical Definition of gel

: a colloid in a more solid form than a sol

2

gel

intransitive verb

medical Definition of gel

gelled; gelling

: to change into or take on the form of a gel

—

gelable

play \ˈjel-ə-bəl\ adjective

Learn More about gel

See words that rhyme with gel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gel Spanish Central: Translation of gel Nglish: Translation of gel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gel for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gel

Seen and Heard

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