gel

gel · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*gel-
2. Latingelū
3. Latingelāre
4. Italiangelare
5. Italiangelatina
6. Frenchgélatine
7. Englishgelatinclip.
8. English todaygel

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 gelāta, past participle of gelō (“to freeze”), from gelū (“frost”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“cold”). For the meaning development compare with Russian сту́день (stúdenʹ, “aspic, jelly, gel”) related to студёный (studjónyj, “cold”).

gel · noun²

Imitative of upper-class British pronunciation of girl.

Words from the same roots