cellar

[ sel-er ]

noun

1. a room, or set of rooms, for the storage of food, fuel, etc., wholly or partly underground and usually beneath a building.
2. an underground room or story.
3. wine cellar.
4. Sports. the lowest position in a group ranked in order of games won:

   The team was in the cellar for most of the season.

verb (used with object)

1. to place or store in a cellar.

cellar

/ ˈsɛlə /

noun

1. See basement
   an underground room, rooms, or storey of a building, usually used for storage Compare basement
2. a place where wine is stored
3. a stock of bottled wines

verb

1. tr to store in a cellar

Other Words From

• cellar·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cellar¹

1175–1225; Middle English celer < Anglo-French < Latin cellārium storeroom, equivalent to cell ( a ) cell + -ārium -ary; later respelling to reflect Latin form; -er ², -ar ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of cellar¹

C13: from Anglo-French, from Latin cellārium food store, from cella cella

Example Sentences

The wine cellar—one of the best in the world—survived World War II and is guarded around the clock.

From The Daily Beast

In addition, he had made prudent investments and, except for his wine cellar, did not live lavishly.

From The Daily Beast

Three were predictable: The Italians and French were, of course, wine imbibers and the Germans were deep in the beer cellar.

From The Daily Beast

We were made to stand against a wall in a barely lit cellar area, where a large man looked at us forbiddingly.

From The Daily Beast

The table was set with the Cavendish silver and crystal and various sumptuous-looking bottles from the wine cellar.

From The Daily Beast

First the chimneys sank down through the roof, as if they were being lowered into the cellar.

From Project Gutenberg

Why, I know not what you call it; but if the house were turned topsy turvy, I should be in the cellar.

From Project Gutenberg

Why,” said his spouse, after considering a moment, “he said you had been letting him into the mysteries of the cellar.

From Project Gutenberg

A drunken man would reel from one side to the other until he fell down a cellar trap-door, into the gutter, or into the sea.

From Project Gutenberg

It resembles, on the whole, a large handsome cellar, the roof of which rests upon a number of plain columns.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• apartment
• basement
• vault