Gel
/dʒɛl/noun
A semisolid substance that is neither fully liquid nor fully solid.
Did you know?In chemistry, gel describes a network that traps liquid inside it, and the word’s history is tied to the idea of something that ‘freezes’ into a set form.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
gel
“A semisolid colloid or styling product”
19th Century
English
gelatin
“A substance made from collagen that sets into a jelly”
17th Century
French
gélatine
“Gelatin; a jelly-like substance”
Late Latin
Latin
gelatus
“Frozen; congealed”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰel-
“To freeze, be cold, or become solid”