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.
Johnathan Maskiell was deemed a second-degree persistent felony offender as part of his April guilty plea for murder in the killing of his cellmate at the Kenton County Detention Center. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025 Bradley Fullerton laid on his mattress and asked his cellmate to get him medical attention, according to the complaint. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025 As an Argentinian prisoner with a high-wattage flare for storytelling, Tonatiuh acts out the life and work of his favorite silver screen diva La Luna (Jennifer Lopez) to bond with his radical cellmate (Diego Luna). Matt Donnelly, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025 Based on Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel of the same name and the Tony-winning stage musical, Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast director Bill Condon’s musical drama stars Diego Luna and Tonatiuh as Valentin and Molina, two cellmates under Argentina’s military dictatorship who unexpectedly connect. Ben Rosenstock, Time, 27 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 2025.

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