gel

Meaning

Noun

1. A semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal.
2. Any gel intended for a particular cosmetic use, such as for styling the hair.
3. 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.

Verb

1. To apply (cosmetic) gel to (the hair, etc).
2. To become a gel.
3. To develop a rapport.
4. To come together to form something; to cohere.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/d͡ʒɛl/

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”).