-cele

¹

1. a combining form meaning “tumor,” used in the formation of compound words:

   varicocele.

-cele

²

1. variant of -coele:

   hematocele.

-cele

combining form

1. tumour or hernia

   hydrocele

Word History and Origins

Origin of -cele¹

Combining form representing Greek kḗlē a tumor; akin to Old English hēala hydrocele

Word History and Origins

Origin of -cele¹

from Greek kēlē tumour

Example Sentences

"There cannot be any room for threats of instability in order to register objections or concerns about the electoral processes," Police Minister Bheki Cele said at a news conference.

From BBC

Bheki Cele, minister for the police, accepts there's a big issue and says violent crime rates are "not pleasing at all".

From BBC

Police Minister Bheki Cele said most of the dead councillors had been victims of internal political battles.

From BBC

In April 2021, police minister Bheki Cele said 411,309 people had been arrested for breaching lockdown regulations.

From BBC

If those two don’t come to the table, we are not going to be resolving this matter,” Police Minister Cele said.

From Seattle Times

Words That Use -cele

What does -cele mean?

The combining form -cele is used like a suffix that has two distinct senses.

The first of these senses is “tumor,” and this form of -cele is frequently used in a variety of medical terms, particularly in pathology. It is generally used to denote a hernia, meaning “the protrusion of an organ or tissue through an opening in its surrounding walls, especially in the abdominal region.” This meaning of -cele comes from Greek kḗlē, meaning “tumor.”

The second of these senses is “cavity,” and this form of -cele is very occasionally used in a variety of medical terms. This meaning of -cele comes from Greek koîlos, meaning “hollow.”

What are variants of -cele with the sense “cavity”?

The combining form -cele in the sense of “cavity” is more commonly spelled -coele and -coel, as in enterocoele and blastocoel. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for -coele and -coel.

Examples of -cele with the sense “tumor”

An example of a scientific term that features the form -cele to mean “tumor” is enterocele, “an intestinal hernia.”

The entero- part of the word means “intestine,” from Greek énteron. The -cele part of the word means “tumor,” in the sense of “hernia,” as we have already seen. Enterocele literally translates to “intestine hernia.”

What are some words that use the combining form -cele?

• cystocele
• dacryocele
• galactocele
• rectocele
• urocele

What are some other forms that -cele may be commonly confused with?

• -cene
• -cle
• -cule

Break it down!

The combining form galacto- means “milk.” With this in mind, what does galactocele literally translate to?