cell

1 of 2

noun (1)

Synonyms of cellnext
1
a
: a single room (as in a convent or prison) usually for one person
b
: a one-room dwelling occupied by a solitary person (such as a hermit)
2
: a basic and usually small unit of an organization or movement
terrorist cells
3
b
: any of the small sections of a geographic area of a cellular (see cellular entry 1 sense 3) telephone system
4
: a small compartment, cavity, or bounded space: such as
a
: one of the compartments of a honeycomb
b
: a membranous area bounded by veins in the wing of an insect
5
: a small usually microscopic mass of protoplasm bounded externally by a semipermeable membrane, usually including one or more nuclei and various other organelles with their products, capable alone or interacting with other cells of performing all the fundamental functions of life, and forming the smallest structural unit of living matter capable of functioning independently
6
a(1)
: a receptacle containing electrodes and an electrolyte either for generating electricity by chemical action or for use in electrolysis
(2)
b
: a single unit in a device for converting radiant energy into electrical energy or for varying the intensity of an electrical current in accordance with radiation (see radiation sense 1)
7
: a unit in a statistical array (see array entry 2 sense 5) (such as a spreadsheet) formed by the intersection of a column and a row
8
: a portion of the atmosphere that behaves as a unit
a storm cell
9
: a small religious house dependent on a monastery or convent

Illustration of cell

Illustration of cell
  • A plant
  • B animal
  • 1 cell wall
  • 2 middle lamella
  • 3 plasma membrane
  • 4 mitochondrion
  • 5 vacuole
  • 6 Golgi apparatus
  • 7 cytoplasm
  • 8 nuclear membrane
  • 9 nucleolus
  • 10 nucleus
  • 11 chromatin
  • 12 endoplasmic reticulum with associated ribosomes
  • 13 chloroplast
  • 14 centriole
  • 15 lysosome

cell

2 of 2

noun (2)

less common spelling of cel

: a transparent sheet of celluloid on which objects are drawn or painted in the making of animated cartoons

Examples of cell in a Sentence

Noun (1) The suspect was in the police station's holding cell overnight. his mission was to locate and infiltrate the terrorist cell that was believed to be hiding in the city
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Defense attorney Eugene Ohm said Allen was prohibited from having anything in his cell. Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2026 If not for a stroke of luck to do with markings on cell doors, he, too, would probably have been killed. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 So the virus carries the gene into the cell, where the gene travels to the nucleus and sets up shop and ultimately starts making the RNA and protein, etcetera. Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 4 May 2026 The economic cost of the war is now palpable – with cell-phone data outages that regularly blight major cities angering even the pro-Putin bourgeoisie – adding to a sense of the war beginning to hit the urban elite, who until now were mostly isolated from the invasion’s impact. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cell

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English, religious house and Anglo-French celle hermit's cell, from Latin cella small room; akin to Latin celare to conceal — more at hell

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 9

Time Traveler
The first known use of cell was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cell. Accessed 5 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

cell

noun
1
: a very small room (as in a convent or prison) usually for one person
2
: a small compartment, cavity, or bounded space
the cells in a honeycomb often contain honey
3
: one of the tiny units that are the basic building blocks of living things, that carry on the basic functions of life either alone or in groups, and that include a nucleus and are surrounded by a membrane
4
a
: a container (as a jar) with electrodes and an electrolyte either for generating electricity by chemical action or for use in electrolysis
b
: a single unit in a device for changing radiant energy into electrical energy
5
celled
ˈseld
adjective

Medical Definition

cell

noun
1
: a small compartment or bounded space
2
: a small usually microscopic mass of protoplasm bounded externally by a semipermeable membrane, usually including one or more nuclei and various nonliving products, capable alone or interacting with other cells of performing all the fundamental functions of life, and forming the smallest structural unit of living matter capable of functioning independently

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