Gel Meaning
/d͡ʒɛl/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal.
nounAny gel intended for a particular cosmetic use, such as for styling the hair.
Sentence Examples
Tom puts gel in his hair.
I don't use shower gel.
I need a hair gel dispenser on my belt.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
After adding the powder to water, a thick ____ formed in the beaker.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Apply a small amount of styling ____ to your hair to keep it in place throughout the entire day.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
"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:
""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:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After adding the powder to water, a thick ____ formed in the beaker.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Apply a small amount of styling ____ to your hair to keep it in place throughout the entire day.