cel

noun \ ˈsel \

variants: or less commonly cell

Definition of cel

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

Recent Examples of cel from the Web

Legions of inkers and painters (all of whom were women, by the way) painstakingly finished each cel by hand and prepared them to be photographed.

— arthur levine, USA TODAY, "Walt Disney Studios: Take a tour of the working lot," 25 Sep. 2017
Called axi-cel, the Kite medicine stems from a yearslong scientific collaboration with the NCI, underscoring the government agency’s central role in developing immunotherapies.

— thomas m. burton, WSJ, "Immunotherapy Treatments for Cancer Gain Momentum," 12 Oct. 2017
The Sterns' cels are being conserved in California, Costa said, but photographs of them are on view at the home.

— contributing writer, NOLA.com, "1935: The seeds are planted for Longue Vue House and Gardens," 18 Oct. 2017
Kite’s main treatment, axi-cel, is on the scientific vanguard of drugs that use the body’s immune system to fight cancer, known as cell therapy.

— charley grant, WSJ, "Gilead Has Earned the Benefit of the Doubt," 28 Aug. 2017
The Sterns collected cels, which are individual scenes from animated movies.

— contributing writer, NOLA.com, "1935: The seeds are planted for Longue Vue House and Gardens," 18 Oct. 2017
Before it was approved and named Yescarta, Kite’s treatment was known by other names: axi-cel, axicabtagene ciloleucel, or KTE-C19.

— denise grady, New York Times, "F.D.A. Approves Second Gene-Altering Treatment for Cancer," 18 Oct. 2017
And the devastation is depicted with cinematic beauty by the art team of Bouma, Rockefeller and Sun, whose every panel could pass for an animation cel.

— christopher healy, New York Times, "Kids Face Down a Panoply of Threats," 12 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.