cella

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈsɛlə/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(sel′ə)

Inflections of 'cella' (n): npl: cellae

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
cel•la  (sel′ə),USA pronunciation n., pl. cel•lae (sel′ē).USA pronunciation [Archit.]
  1. Architecturethe principal enclosed chamber of a classical temple.
  2. Architecturethe entire central structure of a classical temple. Also called naos. 
  • Latin: storeroom, shrine, akin to cēlāre to hide; see conceal
  • 1670–80

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cella / ˈsɛlə/ ( -lae / -liː/)
  1. the inner room of a classical temple, esp the room housing the statue of a deity
    Also called: naos
Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin: room, shrine; see cell1
'cella' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
barbicel - cell - cellar - cellule - damsel - miscellaneous - naos - opisthodomos - orthostat - pronaos - prostasis - pteron - sacellum - sekos - varicella

Forum discussions with the word(s) "cella" in the title:


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