cell

American  

[sel] / sɛl /

noun

1. a small room, as in a convent or prison.

2. any of various small compartments or bounded areas forming part of a whole.

3. a small group acting as a unit within a larger organization.

   a local cell of the Communist party.

4. Biology. a usually microscopic structure containing nuclear and cytoplasmic material enclosed by a semipermeable membrane and, in plants, a cell wall; the basic structural unit of all organisms.

5. Entomology. one of the areas into which the wing of an insect is divided by the veins.

6. Botany. locule.

7. Electricity.

   1. Also called electrochemical cell,.  Also called galvanic cell,.  Also called voltaic cell.  Also called electric cell,.  Also called battery.  a device that generates electrical energy from chemical energy, usually consisting of two different conducting substances placed in an electrolyte.

   2. solar cell.

8. Also called electrolytic cell.  Physical Chemistry. a device for producing electrolysis, consisting essentially of the electrolyte, its container, and the electrodes.

9. Aeronautics. the gas container of a balloon.

10. Ecclesiastical. a monastery or nunnery, usually small, dependent on a larger religious house.

11. Telecommunications.

    1. one of the distinct geographical areas covered by a radio transmitter in a cellular phone system.

    2. cell phone.

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verb (used without object)

1. to live in a cell.

   The two prisoners had celled together for three years.

cell ¹ British  

/ sɛl /

noun

1. a small simple room, as in a prison, convent, monastery, or asylum; cubicle

2. any small compartment

   the cells of a honeycomb

3. biology the basic structural and functional unit of living organisms. It consists of a nucleus, containing the genetic material, surrounded by the cytoplasm in which are mitochondria, lysosomes, ribosomes, and other organelles. All cells are bounded by a cell membrane; plant cells have an outer cell wall in addition

4. biology any small cavity or area, such as the cavity containing pollen in an anther

5. a device for converting chemical energy into electrical energy, usually consisting of a container with two electrodes immersed in an electrolyte See also primary cell secondary cell dry cell wet cell fuel cell

6. short for electrolytic cell

7. a small religious house dependent upon a larger one

8. a small group of persons operating as a nucleus of a larger political, religious, or other organization

   Communist cell

9. maths a small unit of volume in a mathematical coordinate system

10. zoology one of the areas on an insect wing bounded by veins

11. the geographical area served by an individual transmitter in a cellular radio network

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cell ² British  

/ sɛl /

noun

1. a variant spelling of cel

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cell Scientific  

/ sĕl /

1. The basic unit of living matter in all organisms, consisting of protoplasm enclosed within a cell membrane. All cells except bacterial cells have a distinct nucleus that contains the cell's DNA as well as other structures (called organelles) that include mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, and vacuoles. The main source of energy for all of a cell's biological processes is ATP.

2. See more at eukaryote prokaryote

3. Any of various devices, or units within such devices, that are capable of converting some form of energy into electricity. Cells contain two electrodes and an electrolyte.

4. See more at electrolytic cell solar cell voltaic cell

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cell ¹ Cultural  

1. A region of the atmosphere in which air tends to circulate without flowing outward.

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cell ² Cultural  

1. The basic unit of all living things except viruses. In advanced organisms, cells consist of a nucleus (which contains genetic material), cytoplasm, and organelles, all of which are surrounded by a cell membrane.

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Discover More

Groups of cells with similar structure and function form tissues.

Other Word Forms

• cell-like adjective

Etymology

Origin of cell

First recorded before 1150; 1665–75 cell for def. 4; Middle English celle, from Old French celle, from Medieval Latin cella “monastic cell,” Latin: “room”; Old English cell, from Medieval Latin, as above; see cella

Explanation

Cell has several different meanings, but all of them are similar. Whether it's in a prison or in your blood (or even in the political landscape), a cell is a small room, space, or unit. Blood is composed of countless individual cells, as are virtually all of the organs of the body: skin, liver, lungs, brain, etc. The cell is the basic unit of all biology. A cell in a prison is the room in which a prisoner lives. But did you know that a cell can also be a small group of people devoted to a larger political cause? The government's security forces are constantly on the lookout for terrorist "sleeper cells" and would love to get the members of a sleeper cell into a prison cell.

Example Sentences

When adults were treated with thyroid hormone, which stimulates liver cell growth, their cells began accumulating mutations at rates similar to those seen in juveniles.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

Think Mint Mobile or Cricket Wireless, companies that rent cell towers and wireless spectrum at wholesale prices.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Daraxonrasib bypasses that problem by acting as a molecular glue, binding to a separate protein inside the cell and using the combined surface to seize RAS directly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

As for the Fox News audio bit, dropped calls are common during times of high cell traffic, such as after a major downtown Washington event coming to a sudden and dramatic end.

From Slate • Apr. 26, 2026

I stood in the center of my cell in a frenzy of excitement.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• bacterium
• egg
• germ
• unit