cell

[ sel ]

/ sɛl /

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See synonyms for: cell / cells on Thesaurus.com

noun

a small room, as in a convent or prison.

any of various small compartments or bounded areas forming part of a whole.

a small group acting as a unit within a larger organization: a local cell of the Communist party.

Biology. a usually microscopic structure containing nuclear and cytoplasmic material enclosed by a semipermeable membrane and, in plants, a cell wall; the basic structural unit of all organisms.

Entomology. one of the areas into which the wing of an insect is divided by the veins.

Botany. locule.

Electricity.

Also called battery, electric cell, electrochemical cell, galvanic cell, voltaic cell. a device that generates electrical energy from chemical energy, usually consisting of two different conducting substances placed in an electrolyte.Compare dry cell.
solar cell.

Also called electrolytic cell. Physical Chemistry. a device for producing electrolysis, consisting essentially of the electrolyte, its container, and the electrodes.

Aeronautics. the gas container of a balloon.

Ecclesiastical. a monastery or nunnery, usually small, dependent on a larger religious house.

Telecommunications.

one of the distinct geographical areas covered by a radio transmitter in a cellular phone system.
cell phone.

verb (used without object)

to live in a cell: The two prisoners had celled together for three years.

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Origin of cell

before 1150; 1665–75 for def. 4; Middle English celle<Old French celle<Medieval Latin cella monastic cell, Latin: room (see cella); Old English cell<Medieval Latin, as above; see cella

OTHER WORDS FROM cell

cell-like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use cell in a sentence

There are millions of stories that end with black boys in jail cells.
Bobby Shmurda and Rap’s Ultimate Hoop Dream|Rawiya Kameir|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hollywood might possibly fear North Korean sleeper cells capable of blowing up theaters that screen anti-Nork films.
Pyongyang Shuffle: Hollywood In Dead Panic Over Sony Hack|James Poulos|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The cells are austere—essentially hardened trailers—that cost about $40,000 each to build.
9/11 Mastermind Is Afraid of the Ladies|Tim Mak|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In fact, four of 20 cells at Cobalt were found to have bars across the cell to allow this.
Inside the CIA’s Sadistic Dungeon|Tim Mak|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

African-Americans, wrote Mailer, “known down to the cells of [their] existence that life is war, nothing but war.”
The FBI’s Bogus ISIS Bust|James Poulos|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Beginners must be warned against mistaking the edges of cells, or particles which have retained the red stain, for bacilli.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Renal cells are abundant in parenchymatous nephritis, especially the acute form.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
(a) Epithelial casts contain epithelial cells from the renal tubules.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
They are cells which have been highly differentiated for the purpose of carrying oxygen from the lungs to the tissues.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Yeast-cells are smooth, colorless, highly refractive, spheric or ovoid cells.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for cell (1 of 2)

cell¹

/ (sɛl) /

noun

a small simple room, as in a prison, convent, monastery, or asylum; cubicle

any small compartmentthe cells of a honeycomb

biology the basic structural and functional unit of living organisms. It consists of a nucleus, containing the genetic material, surrounded by the cytoplasm in which are mitochondria, lysosomes, ribosomes, and other organelles. All cells are bounded by a cell membrane; plant cells have an outer cell wall in addition

biology any small cavity or area, such as the cavity containing pollen in an anther

a device for converting chemical energy into electrical energy, usually consisting of a container with two electrodes immersed in an electrolyteSee also primary cell, secondary cell, dry cell, wet cell, fuel cell

short for electrolytic cell

a small religious house dependent upon a larger one

a small group of persons operating as a nucleus of a larger political, religious, or other organizationCommunist cell

maths a small unit of volume in a mathematical coordinate system

zoology one of the areas on an insect wing bounded by veins

the geographical area served by an individual transmitter in a cellular radio network

Derived forms of cell

cell-like, adjective

Word Origin for cell

C12: from Medieval Latin cella monk's cell, from Latin: room, storeroom; related to Latin cēlāre to hide

British Dictionary definitions for cell (2 of 2)

cell²

/ (sɛl) /

noun

a variant spelling of cel

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

Scientific definitions for cell

cell

[ sĕl ]

The basic unit of living matter in all organisms, consisting of protoplasm enclosed within a cell membrane. All cells except bacterial cells have a distinct nucleus that contains the cell's DNA as well as other structures (called organelles) that include mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, and vacuoles. The main source of energy for all of a cell's biological processes is ATP. See more at eukaryote prokaryote.

Any of various devices, or units within such devices, that are capable of converting some form of energy into electricity. Cells contain two electrodes and an electrolyte. See more at electrolytic cell solar cell voltaic cell.

Other words from cell

cellular adjective

Cultural definitions for cell (1 of 2)

cell

The basic unit of all living things except viruses. In advanced organisms, cells consist of a nucleus (which contains genetic material), cytoplasm, and organelles, all of which are surrounded by a cell membrane.

notes for cell

Groups of cells with similar structure and function form tissues.

Cultural definitions for cell (2 of 2)

cell

A region of the atmosphere in which air tends to circulate without flowing outward.

cell

Origin of cell

OTHER WORDS FROM cell

Words related to cell

How to use cell in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cell (1 of 2)

Derived forms of cell

Word Origin for cell

British Dictionary definitions for cell (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for cell

Other words from cell

Cultural definitions for cell (1 of 2)

notes for cell

Cultural definitions for cell (2 of 2)