cell1

[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 battery, electric cell, electrochemical 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.
    Compare dry cell.
  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. See under cellular phone.
verb (used without object)
12.
to live in a cell:
The two prisoners had celled together for three years.
Origin
before 1150; 1665-75 for def 4; Middle English celle < Old French celle < Medieval Latin cella monastic cell, Latin: room (see cella); Old English cell < Medieval Latin, as above; see cella
Related forms
cell-like, adjective

cell2

[sel] /sɛl/
noun
1.
cel.

cellular phone

noun
1.
a mobile telephone system using low-powered radio transmitters, with each transmitter covering a distinct geographical area (cell) and computer equipment to switch a call from one area to another, thus enabling large-scale car or portable phone service.
2.
mobile phone.
Also called cell· phone·, cellular telephone.
Examples from the web for cell
  • It usually grows and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer.
  • Thousands of these microscopic strands of genetic material are found in every living cell.
  • These are some of the hundreds of small cell phone makers that are eating up market share across the developing world.
  • He explained that she had a non-small cell lung cancer that had started in her left lung.
  • Computer screens weren't portable enough, and for many readers cell phones were too small.
  • Someone threw a brick through her living-room window and stole her cell phone, but she escaped out the back door.
  • Then you have to boot up the genome in a living cell to generate the hardware, the life-form itself.
  • Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of small cell lung cancer.
  • No mention was made of cell phones, cameras or handheld camcorders, but they're probably okay if they're small.
  • These minerals began to crystallize between the waterlogged wood's cell walls.
British Dictionary definitions for cell

cel

/sɛl/
noun
1.
short for celluloid (sense 2b), celluloid (sense 2c)

cell1

/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
Derived Forms
cell-like, adjective
Word Origin
C12: from Medieval Latin cella monk's cell, from Latin: room, storeroom; related to Latin cēlāre to hide

cell2

/sɛl/
noun
1.
a variant spelling of cel
Word Origin and History for cell
n.

early 12c., "small monastery, subordinate monastery" (from Medieval Latin in this sense), later "small room for a monk or a nun in a monastic establishment; a hermit's dwelling" (c.1300), from Latin cella "small room, store room, hut," related to Latin celare "to hide, conceal."

The Latin word represents PIE root *kel- "conceal" (cf. Sanskrit cala "hut, house, hall;" Greek kalia "hut, nest," kalyptein "to cover," koleon "sheath," kelyphos "shell, husk;" Latin clam "secret;" Old Irish cuile "cellar," celim "hide," Middle Irish cul "defense, shelter;" Gothic hulistr "covering," Old English heolstor "lurking-hole, cave, covering," Gothic huljan "cover over," hulundi "hole," hilms "helmet," halja "hell," Old English hol "cave," holu "husk, pod").

Sense of monastic rooms extended to prison rooms (1722). Used in 14c., figuratively, of brain "compartments;" used in biology by 17c. of various cavities (e.g. wood structure, segments of fruit, bee combs), gradually focusing to the modern sense of "basic structure of living organisms" (which OED dates to 1845).

Electric battery sense is from 1828, based on original form. Meaning "small group of people working within a larger organization" is from 1925. Cell body is from 1851; cell division from 1846; cell membrane from 1837 (but cellular membrane is 1732); cell wall from 1842.

cell in Medicine

cell (sěl)
n.

  1. The smallest structural unit of an organism that is capable of independent functioning, consisting of one or more nuclei, cytoplasm, and various organelles, all surrounded by a semipermeable cell membrane.

  2. A small enclosed cavity or space.

cell in Science
cell
(sěl)

  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. See more at eukaryote, prokaryote.

  2. 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. See more at electrolytic cell, solar cell, voltaic cell.


cellular adjective
cell in Culture

cell definition


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

cell definition


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.

Note: Groups of cells with similar structure and function form tissues.
cell in Technology


1. In a spreadsheet, the intersection of a row a column and a sheet, the smallest addressable unit of data. A cell contains either a constant value or a formula that is used to calculate a value. The cell has a format that determines how to display the value. A cell can be part of a range. A cell is usually referred to by its column (labelled by one or more letters from the sequence A, B, ..., Z, AA, AB, ..., AZ, BA, BB, ..., BZ, ... ) and its row number counting up from one, e.g. cell B3 is in the second column across and the third row down. A cell also belongs to a particular sheet, e.g. "Sheet 1".
2. ATM's term for a packet.
(2007-10-22)

Related Abbreviations for cell

cell

  1. cellular
  2. celluloid