cellar

American  

[sel-er] / ˈsɛl ər /

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.

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verb (used with object)

1. to place or store in a cellar.

cellar British  

/ ˈsɛlə /

noun

1. 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

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verb

1. (tr) to store in a cellar

Other Word Forms

• cellarless adjective

Etymology

Origin of cellar

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

Example Sentences

Oregon had, on the other hand, spent most of the season in the Big Ten cellar.

From Los Angeles Times

This can lead to water filtering upwards above roads or into cellars and basements.

From BBC

When Post bought the property, it featured 12,700 square feet of space, a pool, a wine cellar, a basketball court, and panoramic mountain views.

From MarketWatch

Mount Vernon’s newest chapter lies below stairs, in the cellar.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the stone cellar we uncover blankets, crates of champagne, tins of French pâté, and a folder of glossy photographs of a woman called Gloria Swanson.

From Literature

Related Words

• apartment
• basement
• vault