variants or less commonly cell
: a transparent sheet of celluloid on which objects are drawn or painted in the making of animated cartoons

Examples of cel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Club 33 is an exclusive dining venue, which is furnished with props from Disney films, original animation cels, and art nouveau design features. Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 10 Sep. 2024 There are elements on backgrounds that are drawn as cels, the transparent sheets on which animators draw movable objects. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024 The bakery’s ‘threat of activation’ The bread on the shelves, the hanging clipboard, and the flowers in this shot were all drawn on animation cels. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024 In December, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first gene-editing therapy for humans — a treatment for sickle cell disease, called Exa-cel, that was jointly developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals of Boston and CRISPR Therapeutics of Switzerland. Kevin Roose, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for cel 

Word History

Etymology

short for celluloid

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cel was in 1933

Dictionary Entries Near cel

Cite this Entry

“Cel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cel. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

Cel

abbreviation
Celsius
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!