aerogel

noun

aero·​gel ˈer-ō-ˌjel How to pronounce aerogel (audio)
plural aerogels
: a light, highly porous solid formed by replacement of liquid in a gel (see gel entry 1 sense 1) with a gas so that the resulting solid is the same size as the original
By extracting the fluid from a wet gel under pressure and at a high temperature he was able to produce extremely light materials with porosities as high as 98 percent. Kistler called the solids aerogels.Jochen Fricke
Silica aerogel is so light that engineers sometimes call it "solid smoke." This low weight combined with excellent sound, thermal and electrical insulating properties would make aerogel ideal for a host of consumer products, were it not so expensive to produce.Popular Mechanics

Examples of aerogel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As a result, the temperature inside the aerogel increases, and the salty solution starts releasing water vapor, re-forming the original salt. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2023 In addition, our aerogel could serve as an electrode that has a more regular density of current, eliminating hotspots. Debbie G. Senesky, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023 Because of carbon’s ability to quickly absorb sunlight and turn it into heat energy, the aerogel is able to release water quickly. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2023 But on the way, the team deployed a secondary panel of aerogel to try to catch interstellar dust. Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019 This imbalance can lead to aerogels with less uniform conductivity, creating hotspots and failures. Debbie G. Senesky, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023 The tattoos are composed of two inks—a zinc oxide ink containing embedded nanowires atop a graphene aerogel conductive ink. IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2023 The researchers noted that enough visible light can pass through the aerogel layer to allow for photosynthesis, and suggested aerogel shields could protect crops and other photosynthetic life with minimal subsequent intervention. Charles Choi, Discover Magazine, 15 July 2019 Ergen says there is also some aerogel in the ink containing the nanowires, though at a lower ratio than that in the lower layer, and as a result, the two inks bond on contact. IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aerogel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aerogel was in 1923

Dictionary Entries Near aerogel

Cite this Entry

“Aerogel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aerogel. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aerogel

noun
aero·​gel
ˈer-ō-ˌjel
: a light highly porous solid formed by replacement of liquid in a gel with a gas so that the resulting solid is the same size as the original

Medical Definition

aerogel

noun
: a highly porous solid formed by replacement of liquid in a gel with a gas so that there is little shrinkage
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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