Gel: meaning, definitions and examples

A verb meaning to become more solid or to work well together.

• The team started to gel after a few practice sessions.
• Allow the mixture to gel overnight.

A specific type of gel used for styling hair.

• He used hair gel to keep his hairstyle in place all day.
• The new hair gel provided a strong hold without making hair stiff.

Another term for hair gel, focused on its purpose for hair styling.

• She often uses styling gel to create different looks.
• The hairstylist recommended a high-quality styling gel for better results.

Typically used to refer to a semi-solid substance, often found in personal care products like hair or skin gels.

• I use a hair gel to keep my hairstyle in place.
• This aloe vera gel is great for soothing sunburns.

A scientific term that describes a mixture where one substance is dispersed evenly throughout another. Often used in chemistry and materials science.

• Milk is an example of a colloid because fat droplets are dispersed in water.
• Scientists studied the properties of the colloid to understand its stability.

Commonly used in more informal or casual settings to describe the forming of a plan or when things start to work well together.

• The team started to gel after the first few games
• Our plans will gel once we confirm the dates

Used in both scientific and everyday contexts to describe the process of becoming solid.

• The lava will solidify into rock over time
• We need to solidify our plans for the trip next week

Rarely used; formal or literary context to describe the process of becoming jelly-like.

• The mixture will jellify if you leave it in the fridge overnight