gelatin
n.n. a clear, jelly-like substance made from animal bones and skin. You use it to make things like desserts, marshmallows, and the clear covering on some medicines.
n. a protein-based substance derived from animal collagen, which forms a clear, jelly-like mass when dissolved in hot water and cooled. Often used as a gelling agent in food and pharmaceuticals.
I used gelatin to make a fruit salad.
The chef added powdered gelatin to the fruit puree to give the dessert a firm, smooth texture.
While traditional recipes rely on animal-derived gelatin for their structural integrity, many modern alternatives use plant-based agar or pectin to achieve a similar gelling effect.
Borrowed from French gélatine (“jelly, gel”), from Italian gelatina (“jelly, gel”), from gelare (“to freeze”), from Latin gelō (“to freeze”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Noungel
- Noungelatin
Last updated May 18, 2026