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.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office identified the cellmate as Christopher Kelly, 42. Dennis Romero, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025 Chad Ollinger, who has appeared in five seasons of Discovery Channel‘s reality series Mystery At Blind Frog Ranch, is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of his cellmate at a Las Vegas jail. Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025 Ollinger's deceased cellmate, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was identified as 42-year-old Christopher Kelly. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025 An inmate in the Lewis Complex at Buckeye State Prison has died following an altercation with his cellmate, officials confirmed. Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 28 Dec. 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 2 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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