gelatin

noun

gel·​a·​tin ˈje-lə-tən 

variants or less commonly gelatine

1

: glutinous material obtained from animal tissues by boiling

especially : a colloidal protein used as a food, in photography, and in medicine

2

a

: any of various substances (such as agar) resembling gelatin

b

: an edible jelly made with gelatin

3

: gel sense 2

Examples of gelatin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Building Martian structures using yeast The gelatin component forms a hydrogel around everything, while the soil/regolith provides the bulk of the material. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

The gelatin provides scaffolding for the cells to grow, and the sand provides the structure and mass. — ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026

Scientists at the University of Hong Kong have developed a potential recipe for 3D-printing houses on Mars using ground-up Martian rock, gelatin, and yeast, with the latter two ingredients coming from Earth. — New Atlas, 26 Sep. 2026

Intact capsules also remained trapped within the gelatin, meaning some medications could still be identified and potentially retrieved. — Sunny Linnebur, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French gélatine edible jelly, gelatin, from Italian gelatina, from gelato, past participle of gelare to freeze, from Latin — more at cold

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gelatin

• skeleton
• cytoskeleton
• exoskeleton

Kids Definition

gelatin

noun

gel·​a·​tin

variants also gelatine

ˈjel-ət-ᵊn 

1

: gummy or sticky protein obtained by boiling animal tissues and used as food, in photography, and in medicine

2

: an edible jelly formed with gelatin

3

: a thin colored transparent sheet used to color a stage light

Medical Definition

gelatin

noun

gel·​a·​tin

variants also gelatine

ˈjel-ət-ən 

1

: glutinous material obtained from animal tissues by boiling

especially : a colloidal protein used as a food, in photography, and in medicine

2

a

: any of various substances (as agar) resembling gelatin

b

: an edible jelly made with gelatin