cel

American  

[sel] / sɛl /

Or cell

noun

1. a transparent celluloid sheet on which a character, scene, etc., is drawn or painted and which constitutes one frame in the filming of an animated cartoon: may be overlapped for change of background or foreground.

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cel British  

/ sɛl /

noun

1. short for celluloid celluloid

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Etymology

Origin of cel

By shortening of celluloid

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cel

When a film cel from “Snow White” was acquired by the Met in 1938, Disney was seen as a pioneer, an innovator, even a modernist.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 6, 2022

One could, of course, argue that the cel itself—a tracing of the animators’ drawings on a sheet of plastic—was but a mere simulacrum of the original work on paper.

From Slate ● Dec. 13, 2021

And this year, the original hand-drawn cel depicting Homer’s mad dash to relieve himself was welcomed by the 9/11 museum’s curator, Alexandra Drakakis, as a “hilarious and tender” donation.

From New York Times ● Sep. 10, 2019

It’s understandable that Miyazaki might find sources of inspiration harder to come by as he ages, or doubt his stamina for the gruelling work that goes into cel animation.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 16, 2017

Richard saw him and put up his hand: on went the hammered rhymes— E las claus son de prejar: Ab cel obron li cortes.

From The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay by Maurice Henry Hewlett

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