gelatin

noun

gel·​a·​tin ˈje-lə-tən 

variants or less commonly gelatine

1

: glutinous material obtained from animal tissues by boiling

especially : a colloidal protein used as a food, in photography, and in medicine

2

a

: any of various substances (such as agar) resembling gelatin

b

: an edible jelly made with gelatin

3

: gel sense 2

Examples of gelatin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Built from human-compatible materials The model’s structure is built from a biological scaffold of gelatin methacrylate and alginate, materials chosen to mimic the colon’s soft tissue. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025

Some juices don’t fare well with high heat and gelatin, so avoid using fresh pineapple, kiwi, mango or papaya juice. —Cody Godwin, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025

Unlike some strawberry pies that involve gelatin, this one celebrates the fruit in its freshest form. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025

Pearls are fairly easy to swallow and do away with the outer coating of gelatin or cellulose capsules. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French gélatine edible jelly, gelatin, from Italian gelatina, from gelato, past participle of gelare to freeze, from Latin — more at cold

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gelatin

• skeleton
• cytoskeleton
• exoskeleton

Kids Definition

gelatin

noun

gel·​a·​tin

variants also gelatine

ˈjel-ət-ᵊn 

1

: gummy or sticky protein obtained by boiling animal tissues and used as food, in photography, and in medicine

2

: an edible jelly formed with gelatin

3

: a thin colored transparent sheet used to color a stage light

Medical Definition

gelatin

noun

gel·​a·​tin

variants also gelatine

ˈjel-ət-ən 

1

: glutinous material obtained from animal tissues by boiling

especially : a colloidal protein used as a food, in photography, and in medicine

2

a

: any of various substances (as agar) resembling gelatin

b

: an edible jelly made with gelatin