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.
Rocha’s cellmate packed his belongings for him, detention officer Garrett Taylor said on the witness stand. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025 Next up, Condon tackles Kiss of the Spider Woman, a musical set in an Argentinian prison, where two cellmates distract themselves by recounting the plot of a Hollywood musical. Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025 Márquez said Friday that the cellmate heard the fall and found Pittman unconscious on the floor. Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025 According to the Justice Department's report, Epstein later asked to be returned to the cell with the same cellmate after he was kept on suicide watch for a day. Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 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 14 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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