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

Example Sentences

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

I think there is this belief that if you’re Japanese, you should be making hand-drawn cel animation.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 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

Visto l' abbiam! ma chi sia che cel creda?

From Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects Vol 10 (of 10) Bronzino to Vasari, & General Index. by Vasari, Giorgio