cell

UK: /ˈsɛl/ US: /sɛl/ ,(sel)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

cell¹ /sɛl/   n. [countable]

1. a small room, such as in a convent or a prison.
2. any of various small compartments forming part of a whole:
   The worker bees deposit their food in the cells of the honeycomb.
3. Cell Biology the most basic unit of structure of an organism:
   The cell contains a nucleus, a membrane, and a cell wall.
4. Government a small group within a larger organization:
   a local cell of the socialist party.
5. Electricity a device that converts chemical, heat, or light energy into electricity:
   a dry cell.
6. one of the separate areas covered by a radio transmitter in a cellular phone system:
   Calls within the cell are cheaper than those outside the cell.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

cell¹  (sel), n. 

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. Government a small group acting as a unit within a larger organization:
   a local cell of the Communist party.
4. Cell Biology [Biol.] 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. Insects [Entomol.] one of the areas into which the wing of an insect is divided by the veins.
6. Botany locule.
7. Electricity
   • Also called battery, electric cell, galvanic cell, voltaic cell. a device that generates electrical energy from chemical energy, usually consisting of two different conducting substances placed in an electrolyte. Cf. dry cell.
   • See solar cell. 
8. Also called electrolytic cell. [Physical Chem.] a device for producing electrolysis, consisting essentially of the electrolyte, its container, and the electrodes.
9. [Aeron.] the gas container of a balloon.
10. Religion [Eccles.] a monastery or nunnery, usually small, dependent on a larger religious house.
11. Telecommunications See under cellular phone. 

v.i. 

12. to live in a cell:
    The two prisoners had celled together for three years.

• Medieval Latin, as above; see cella
• Medieval Latin cella monastic cell, Latin: room (see cella); Old English cell
• Old French celle
• bef. 1150; 1665–75 for def. 4; Middle English celle

cell′-like′, adj. 

cell²  (sel) n. 

1. Cinema cel.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cell / sɛl/ noun

1. a small simple room, as in a prison, convent, or monastery; cubicle
2. any small compartment: the cells of a honeycomb
3. 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. 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
7. a small group of persons operating as a nucleus of a larger political, religious, or other organization: Communist cell
8. the geographical area served by an individual transmitter in a cellular radio network

Etymology: 12th Century: from Medieval Latin cella monk's cell, from Latin: room, storeroom; related to Latin cēlāre to hide