cel

American  

[sel] / sɛl /

Or cell

noun

1. a transparent celluloid sheet on which a character, scene, etc., is drawn or painted and which constitutes one frame in the filming of an animated cartoon: may be overlapped for change of background or foreground.

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cel British  

/ sɛl /

noun

1. short for celluloid celluloid

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Etymology

Origin of cel

By shortening of celluloid

Example Sentences

Some of its TV shows and movies used traditional hand-drawn cel animation, but it carved out a separate specialty in the stop-motion puppet animation familiar to viewers since “Gumby” in the 1950s.

From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2022

When a film cel from “Snow White” was acquired by the Met in 1938, Disney was seen as a pioneer, an innovator, even a modernist.

From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2022

That said, using a cel-shading technique like “Ronja” to mimic cel animation also doesn’t really make sense for Ghibli.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2021

It’s understandable that Miyazaki might find sources of inspiration harder to come by as he ages, or doubt his stamina for the gruelling work that goes into cel animation.

From The Guardian • Aug. 16, 2017

En cel an qu’ai dist or endroit, Et ne sait a tort ou a droit, Furent li Templiers, sans doutance, Tous pris par le royaume de France.

From The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple by Addison, Charles G.