cells
|cells|
/sɛlz/
(cell)
small unit
Etymology
'cell' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'cella', where 'cella' meant 'small room' or 'storeroom'.
'cell' changed from Latin 'cella' into Old French 'celle' and Middle English 'celle' before becoming the modern English word 'cell'.
Initially, it meant 'a small room or storeroom'; over time the word's meaning broadened to include small compartmental units (e.g., biological cells, battery cells) and small organized groups.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
biology: the basic structural and functional unit of all living organisms.
Human bodies are made up of trillions of cells.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a small room in a prison, police station, or similar institution where a prisoner is kept.
The prisoners were kept in separate cells.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a single compartment or box in a table, spreadsheet, or similar grid.
Fill the first three cells with the correct data.
Synonyms
Noun 4
an individual electrochemical unit in a battery that produces electrical energy.
This battery pack contains six cells.
Synonyms
Noun 5
a small local unit of a cellular telephone network (area covered by one base station) or, informally, a mobile phone (less common in plural).
The network's cells provide coverage to different neighborhoods.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/09 14:18