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cellmate

American  
[sel-meyt] / ˈsɛlˌmeɪt /

noun

  1. a fellow inmate in a prison cell.


Etymology

Origin of cellmate

cell + mate 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The cellmate “tried to press intercom again to summon help, and it just kept ringing and ringing.”

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 27, 2026

But as portrayed by Mr. Gifuni and co-written by Mr. Bellocchio, Tortora is also kind and discreet: Asking one cellmate what his crime was, the young man says, “I helped my mother.”

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 19, 2026

Epstein's cellmate was released the day before his death.

From BBC Feb. 4, 2026

He and his Nigerian cellmate were also persuaded by the Kremlin's arguments to fight Ukraine.

From Barron's Jan. 30, 2026

His cell was smaller, colder, than the cell in Manchester and his cellmate, another Nigerian, told him that he was not going to allow himself to be deported.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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