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; see -er ², -ar ²

Explanation

A cellar is a basic, unfinished basement. In a very old house, the cellar might have stone walls and a rough dirt floor. Your cellar might basically be a basement, a place you keep your tools and do your laundry. Some cellars have specific purposes, including a storm cellar, where you take cover during a tornado or other storm, and a root cellar, where you store potatoes and other root vegetables during the cold months of the year. This kind of cellar comes the closest to the meaning of the Latin root, cellarium: "pantry or storeroom."

Example Sentences

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

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

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 • Feb. 18, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

"I lost everything, and we just survived because my family and our neighbours were hiding in the cellar," she says.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

Tired of the trouble, David opened his front door, and stood up to the crowd, “You are welcome to search the house from garret to cellar, if you do so respectfully.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• apartment
• basement
• vault