aerogel

American

[air-uh-jel] / ˈɛər əˌdʒɛl /

noun

Chemistry.

a gel formed by the dispersion of air in a solidified matrix; a solid foam, as Styrofoam.

aerogel British

/ ˈɛərəˌdʒɛl /

noun

a colloid that has a continuous solid phase containing dispersed gas

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of aerogel

First recorded in 1920–25; aero- + gel

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lab work revealed that, upon exposure to a flame, one of the gels he was working on bubbled up to form a porous aerogel structure within it that is highly protective against fire.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

"In addition to offering a wide absorption bandwidth of 1.2-2.2 GHz in the X-band, our aerogel is also about 10 times lighter than existing composites used for EMW absorption," added Assoc Prof Duong.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2024

Though Munk is mysterious about his menu, he says he’s planning to incorporate glow-in-dark stars made from aerogel and jellyfish protein.

From Seattle Times • May 11, 2024

The researchers proved their theory using graphene aerogel, a material known for its extraordinary porosity.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2024

Technologies at the research stage include glazing units containing aerogel - an extremely light, porous material that is an exceptionally good insulator.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023