cella

[ sel-uh ]

/ ˈsɛl ə /

noun, plural cel·lae [sel-ee] /ˈsɛl i/. Architecture.

the principal enclosed chamber of a classical temple.

the entire central structure of a classical temple.

Nearby words

cell wall, cell-mediated immune response, cell-mediated immunity, cell-mediated reaction, cell-transfer therapy, cella, cellar, cellar dwellers, cellar fungus, cellar sash, cellarage

Origin of cella

1670–80; < Latin: storeroom, shrine, akin to cēlāre to hide; see conceal

Also called naos.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cella

Inside were three small rooms, entered by separate doors from the cella.
Pompeii, Its Life and Art|August Mau
An alteration peculiarly Roman was made in the cella of the Greek temple.
Old Rome|Robert Burn
The building was also given 94 a vaulted roof, which covered the cella alone.
A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum, Volume I (of 2)|A. H. Smith
An hour afterwards the marquis came in and was surprised to notice that Julien spelt cela with two "ll" cella.
The Red and the Black|Stendhal

In the cella, and also in the chamber behind, there were columns.
Architecture|Thomas Roger Smith

British Dictionary definitions for cella

cella

/ (ˈsɛlə) /

noun plural -lae (-liː)

the inner room of a classical temple, esp the room housing the statue of a deityAlso called: naos

Word Origin for cella

C17: from Latin: room, shrine; see cell 1

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