gel
gb/d͡ʒˈɛl/ us/d͡ʒˈɛl/
A2
Inglês
~ 6100
Acepções
0 acepção
Substantivo
A2
entity
1
thick jelly-like cosmetic or cleaning substance
A thick, soft, jelly-like substance used on the body, hair, or skin, for washing, cleaning, or care.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] uses gel on [something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse 'gel' with 'jelly'. 'Jelly' is usually a sweet food, while 'gel' is more often used for hair, skin, medicine, or cleaning products.
Sinônimos
jelly (Similar thick texture; used more for food or very soft substances, while 'gel' is common in cosmetic and cleaning products.)
|
ointment (A medical cream or salve; usually greasier and not clear, but also used on the skin like some gels.)
|
paste (A thick, soft substance but usually more solid and not see-through; often used for teeth or adhesives rather than body care.)
Antônimos
liquid (Describes a free-flowing substance, the opposite consistency of a thick jelly-like gel.)
Colocações
hair gel
|shower gel
|styling gel
|hand gel
|apply gel
|aloe vera gel
Temas
daily life
|appearance
|health
|daily_life
Exemplos
- She rubbed a little styling gel into her hair before the interview.
- I prefer shower gel to bar soap because it feels softer on my skin.
- The nurse squeezed some cooling gel onto the burn.
- There was a bottle of hand gel by the door for customers to use.
- He used an aloe vera gel to soothe his sunburn.
Exemplos para estudantes
- He puts gel in his hair every morning.
- I bought a new shower gel yesterday.
- The doctor gave me a special gel for my skin.
- Please use the hand gel before you enter the room.
- This gel makes my hair stay in place.
Verbo
B2
action
2
to come together and work well
To slowly start working well or fitting together, for example when a team or plan finally works.
Padrão de uso:
[people/things] gel
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the physical meaning of 'gel' (to become thick like jelly). In this sense, 'gel' is figurative and is used for people, ideas, or plans, not for food or liquids.
Sinônimos
come together (Very close in meaning; more general and slightly more informal, while 'gel' often suggests becoming smooth and effective.)
|
click (Informal; often used for people suddenly connecting very well, while 'gel' can describe a slower process.)
Antônimos
fall apart (Describes a group or plan failing or breaking down, which is the opposite of starting to gel.)
Colocações
team gels
|idea gels
|plans gel
|relationship gels
|things start to gel
Temas
work
|social
|communication
|business
Exemplos
- It took a few weeks, but the new team has finally started to gel.
- The story didn’t really gel until the final chapter.
- Their partnership never quite gelled, so the project was canceled.
- The ideas are interesting, but they don’t gel into a clear argument yet.
- Once the cast gelled, the show became much stronger.
Exemplos para estudantes
- At first we argued a lot, but now our group is starting to gel.
- The plan did not gel, so we tried another idea.
- The players need time to gel as a team.
- Our ideas gelled after we talked for an hour.
- The project will work when all the parts gel.
Verbo
B2
action
3
to set into a jelly-like state
To become thick and soft like jelly, not a liquid anymore.
Padrão de uso:
[a liquid/mixture] gels
Erro comum:
Learners may use 'freeze' instead of 'gel'. 'Freeze' means to become solid because of cold, often very hard, while 'gel' means to become thick and jelly-like, not hard like ice.
Sinônimos
set (Common in cooking for liquids becoming firm; 'gel' highlights the jelly-like texture.)
Antônimos
melt (Describes a solid becoming liquid, the opposite direction of a liquid gelling.)
Colocações
allow to gel
|leave to gel
|start to gel
|mixture gels
|solution gels
Temas
science
|cooking
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- Chill the dessert in the fridge for two hours to let it gel.
- The sauce never really gelled, so it stayed runny.
- Once the mixture gels, you can cut it into cubes.
- The polymer solution will gel when the temperature drops.
- The jam didn’t gel properly because there wasn’t enough pectin.
Exemplos para estudantes
- Put the bowl in the fridge and wait for the liquid to gel.
- The dessert did not gel, so it was too soft.
- After one hour, the mixture began to gel.
- When it gels, the texture is like soft jelly.
- If it does not gel, you need to cook it longer.
Verbo
B1
action
4
to style hair with gel
To put hair gel on your hair to make a style.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] gels [their] hair
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say *"He put gel his hair"* instead of "He put gel in his hair" (noun use) or "He gelled his hair" (verb use). Use the verb form when talking about the action of styling.
Sinônimos
style (A general word for arranging hair; 'gel' specifically mentions using hair gel to do this.)
Antônimos
mess up (To make hair look untidy, the opposite of carefully gelling it into a style.)
Colocações
gel his hair
|gel her fringe
|carefully gelled hair
|spike and gel
Temas
appearance
|daily life
|daily_life
Exemplos
- He always gels his hair before going out at night.
- She gelled her bangs straight back off her face.
- The boy had his hair carefully washed and gelled for the photo.
- I don’t like to gel my hair every day because it feels stiff.
- The stylist gelled his curls to give them more definition.
Exemplos para estudantes
- He gels his hair for school every morning.
- She gelled her hair to make it stand up.
- I don’t want to gel my hair today.
- The barber gelled my hair after the cut.
- You can gel your hair if you want a strong style.
Substantivo
technical
C1
entity
5
semi-solid material with liquid in a network
In science, a material that is not liquid and not hard solid, where liquid is trapped inside a soft, solid network.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] studies/uses [type of] gel
Sinônimos
colloid (A broader scientific term for mixtures with very small particles; a gel is a specific type of colloid that is semi-solid.)
Antônimos
solution (A homogeneous liquid mixture without a solid network, contrasting with the semi-solid network of a gel.)
Colocações
polymer gel
|agarose gel
|silica gel
|gel matrix
|gel structure
Temas
science
|technology
Exemplos
- The proteins were separated on an agarose gel.
- Silica gel is used as a drying agent in many packages.
- The hydrogel behaves like a soft solid but contains mostly water.
- They tested how much drug the gel could slowly release.
- The material changes from a sol to a gel as it cools.
Exemplos para estudantes
- Scientists often use gel to separate small parts in a lab.
- Silica gel keeps shoes dry in the box.
- This gel is soft to touch but keeps its shape.
- The gel holds a lot of water inside it.
- The liquid became a gel when the scientist cooled it.
Gramática
Forma no dicionário
gel
AFI
GB/d͡ʒˈɛl/
US/d͡ʒˈɛl/
Sílabas e tonicidade
gel (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (gel)
Formas da palavra
Noun
- Base: gel
- Plural: gel, gels
Verb
- Base: gel
- 3rd Person Singular: gells, gels, jells
- Present Participle: gelling, jelling
- Past: gelled, jelled
- Past Participle: gelled, jelled
Família de palavras
Forms
gels
noun
gells
verb
jells
verb
gelling
verb
jelling
verb
gelled
verb
jelled
verb
Related words
gelatin
noun
jelly
noun A2
Advanced or less common
gelatinous
adjective
Destaques
- Irregular present participle: gelling, jelling Verb
- Irregular past: gelled, jelled Verb
- Irregular past participle: gelled, jelled Verb
Expressões
gel with
1/d͡ʒˈɛl wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
to fit or work well with
To mix, connect, or work well with a person, group, idea, or plan.
Exemplos
- I don’t really gel with my new colleagues yet.
- The new software doesn’t gel with our old systems.
- She gels with the team because she has a similar style of working.
hair gel
1/hˈɛɹ d͡ʒˈɛl/
fixed phrase
gel product for styling hair
A thick, clear styling product that you put on your hair to shape it and make it stay in place.
Exemplos
- He uses a lot of hair gel to spike his hair.
- She bought a new hair gel that doesn’t leave flakes.
hand gel
1/hˈænd d͡ʒˈɛl/
fixed phrase
sanitizing gel for hands
A gel, often with alcohol, that you rub on your hands to clean them without using water.
Exemplos
- There is a bottle of hand gel at the entrance to the office.
- Please use hand gel before you visit the patients.
let something gel
1/lˈɛt sˈʌmθɪŋ d͡ʒˈɛl/
fixed phrase
allow time for something to settle
To wait and give a plan, idea, or group time so that it can become clearer or work better.
Exemplos
- Let the proposal gel for a few days before we make a final decision.
- We should let the team gel instead of changing the lineup again.
shower gel
1/ʃˈaʊɚ d͡ʒˈɛl/
fixed phrase
thick liquid soap for the body
A thick, sweet-smelling liquid soap that you use in the shower to wash your body.
Exemplos
- I need to buy more shower gel before my trip.
- This shower gel makes my skin feel very soft.
styling gel
1/stˈaɪlɪŋ d͡ʒˈɛl/
fixed phrase
gel used to hold hair in place
A gel that you put on hair to shape it and make the style stay.
Exemplos
- He prefers styling gel to wax because it feels lighter.
- The stylist recommended a strong styling gel for short haircuts.
things are starting to gel
1/θˈɪŋz ˈɑɹ stˈɑɹtɪŋ tə d͡ʒˈɛl/
idiom
situation becoming clearer and effective
Used to say that a project, plan, or group is beginning to work well and make sense.
Exemplos
- After a difficult first month, things are starting to gel on the project.
- It took a while, but things are starting to gel with the new manager.