cell

/sel/
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cell

A student examines a plant cell under a microscope.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A small room where a prisoner is confined: A cell is a locked room in a prison or police station.
    • A small, simple room for a monk or nun: In a monastery or convent, a cell is a monk's or nun's private living quarters.
    • The basic structural and functional unit of a living organism: In biology, a cell is the smallest unit of life, capable of performing all life processes.
    • A device that produces electricity through chemical reactions: An electrical cell (like a battery cell) converts chemical energy into electrical energy.
    • A small compartment or unit: A cell can be any small, enclosed space, such as one section of a honeycomb.
    • A small, local unit of a larger organization: In politics or activism, a cell is a small, often secretive, group that is part of a larger movement.
Examples of Usage
  • Noun:
    • The prisoner was placed in a solitary cell.
    • The monk returned to his cell for prayer and meditation.
    • Every plant and animal is composed of one or more cells.
    • This remote control needs a new battery cell.
    • The structure of the honeycomb is made up of hexagonal cells.
    • The terrorist organization was composed of independent cells.
Advanced Usage
  • "Cell division": The process by which a parent cell divides into two or more daughter cells.
    • Mitosis is a type of cell division.
  • "Cell membrane": The semipermeable membrane surrounding the cytoplasm of a cell.
    • The cell membrane controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell.
  • "To be in one's cell": To be confined in a prison room.
    • The inmate spent 23 hours a day in his cell.
Variants and Related Words
  • Cellular (adj): Relating to or consisting of cells; or relating to a mobile phone network.
    • Cellular biology studies the structure and function of cells.
    • The cellular network coverage is excellent here.
  • Cellphone (n): A portable telephone that operates using a network of radio cells.
    • She answered her cellphone. (Note: This is a compound word listed separately as a variant).
Synonyms
  • Chamber: A room, especially a private one (for a room).
  • Compartment: A separate section or part of something.
  • Unit: A single, complete thing that is part of a larger system.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Cell" as a noun does not commonly form phrasal verbs. The following relates to the verb form of related words.) - Cell off: (Rare, specialized) To divide into cells or compartments. - The tissue began to cell off during development.

Related Idioms
  • Prison cell: The standard term for a jail room.
    • He spent ten years in a prison cell.
  • The building blocks of life: A metaphor for cells.
    • Cells are often called the building blocks of life.
cell

A student examines a plant cell under a microscope.

Noun
  1. a room where a prisoner is kept
  2. small room in which a monk or nun lives
  3. a hand-held mobile radiotelephone for use in an area divided into small sections, each with its own short-range transmitter/receiver
  4. a small unit serving as part of or as the nucleus of a larger political movement
  5. a device that delivers an electric current as the result of a chemical reaction
  6. (biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals
  7. any small compartment
    • the cells of a honeycomb