cell line

noun

: a cell culture selected for uniformity from a cell population derived from a usually homogeneous tissue source (such as an organ)
carcinoma cell lines

Examples of cell line 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 of the more than 3 million documents in the DOJ release revealed that Epstein had been a participant in the PGP, led by Harvard Medical School professor George Church, and that as a part of that study, cell lines containing Epstein’s DNA had been created in 2013. Megan Molteni, STAT, 4 Mar. 2026 Lawyers for the family argued in that case that the company continued to commercialize the results long after the origins of the HeLa cell line became well known and unjustly enriched itself off Lacks’ cells. CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026 Lawyers for the family argued in that case that the company continued to commercialize the results long after the origins of the HeLa cell line became well known and unjustly enriched itself off Lacks' cells. CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026 Lawyers for the family argued in that case that the company continued to commercialize the results long after the origins of the HeLa cell line became well known and unjustly enriched itself off Lacks’ cells. ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cell line

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cell line was in 1940

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Cite this Entry

“Cell line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cell%20line. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Medical Definition

cell line

noun
: a cell culture selected for uniformity from a cell population derived from a usually homogeneous tissue source (as an organ)
a newly established cell line derived from human endometrial carcinomaBiological Abstracts
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