cellmate

noun

cell·​mate ˈsel-ˌmāt How to pronounce cellmate (audio)
variants or less commonly cell mate
plural cellmates also cell mates
: a person who shares a prison cell with another prisoner
When his cellmates learned that his bond had been set at $1 million (and bail at $500,000), they broke into laughter and shook their heads in disbelief.Richard Behar
Within a week, guards came by at night and told me to get ready. … I said goodbye to my cellmates and gathered my things …Clare Morgana Gillis

Examples of cellmate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some condemned inmates still live in single cells in their new accommodations, but others have been assigned cellmates or live in dormlike settings. Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025 Watch Avengers: Age of Ultron on Disney+ Ant-Man After getting out of jail, petty thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) moves in with his former cellmate. Jacqueline Weiss, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025 His revolutionary cellmate, Valentin, is played by Diego Luna. Natalie Sitek, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2025 Hampton has just completed a long stint in solitary confinement, and his cellmate Rudy (Adam Beach) urges him to find a purpose or risk extending his now three-year-long sentence for check fraud once again. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cellmate

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cellmate was in 1839

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Cite this Entry

“Cellmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellmate. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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