cellmate

noun

cell·​mate ˈsel-ˌmāt 

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

Brittney Griner reveals cellmate in Russian prison was jailed for very disturbing reason. —FOXNews.com, 23 July 2025

Prosecutors allege that Craig tried to pay his cellmate and others to cover his tracks, including by offering to pay them to create false testimony and kill Olson, the lead investigator. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 16 July 2025

Colindres' mom said his cellmate was also arrested at the office that day. —Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

Corby has a predictably difficult time with his first cellmate, Pug, until the heart of gold within the hardened criminal is revealed. —Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cellmate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate