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. 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 Word Forms

• cellarless 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

In addition to 10 bedrooms and 11.5 bathrooms, there’s a wood-paneled library, wine cellar, pub and hidden bookshelf door that leads to the lower level.

From Los Angeles Times

"I have taken the trip down to the injury cellar several times this spring. It has been pitch dark there," he said.

From BBC

“Good Boy,” by Jan Komasa, has an arresting star turn by Anson Boon as a ruffian who gets chained up in a rich family’s cellar until he agrees to behave.

From Los Angeles Times

Court documents related to the Great Train Robbery have been found inside a locked safe in a cellar.

From BBC

Tourism is a major part of the business for many Welsh wine producers who offer tours and tasting events resulting in a large proportion of sales at the "cellar door".

From BBC

Related Words

• apartment 
• basement 
• vault